According to the DoH the "swine flu mass vaccination campaign starts today". We have already had numerous calls to our staff requesting the vaccine - a vaccine which we have not got.

The DoH has failed to make it clear that the only vaccinations being undertaken at the moment are in the hospitals to their "frontline staff".

Deliveries of the vaccine to general practice is being phased over the three weeks starting next Monday. Thanks, Sir Liam, for all the unnecessary work you are giving our receptionists.

Have given 400 seasonal flu vaccines this weekend... as usual, despite advertising my clinics starting at 10am, there was the usual rattling of the door at 9am onwards.... then a mad rush in the first couple of hours (despite being open until 5pm on both Saturday and Sunday). Traffic wardens had a field day... they just love doctors' surgeries knowing that patient often try and "pop in" to make an appointment or collect a prescription without buying a ticket.

I think next time we will only hold clinics on days when patients don't have to pay for parking.

There's also lots of misinformation about the need for swine flu vaccine. For some reason most elderly people seem to think that they don't need it. I am afraid that they are wrong. Although people in their 50s upwards may have had some exposure to a similar vaccine in the 1960s there is no inherent immunity to this virus. Hence yes, everyone, including the elderly, should ensure that they have the vaccine when it is available.

Old people die as a result of flu every winter, more people will die if they refuse the safe swine flu vaccine.