Patients return for vaccinations

A third of patients given vaccines that health chiefs admitted were unlikely to be fully effective have been re-immunised.

The Advertiser reported last week that about 400 patients, including children, at Lombard Street Surgeries, Newark, were sent letters advising them to make appointments at special clinics.

The recalls relate to children’s immunisations, travel vaccinations, some adult vaccinations and boosters.

A countywide audit of vaccine storage showed that for three weeks in December 2007 and a week in July 2008 the temperature of a fridge at Lombard Street was too low. Vaccines from those batches are unlikely to have provided full immunity.

The vaccinations affected would have been given to children aged two months to five years for diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, Hib meningitis, meningitis C, pnemococcal and MMR; 13 to 18-year-olds for diphtheria, tetanus and polio; over-65s and at-risk groups aged two and over for pnemococcal; children and adults planning to travel for typhoid, hepatitis A and hepatitis B.

A helpline was set up for appointments and advice.

A spokesman for NHS Nottinghamshire County said: “A third of the patients identified have already come forward. Our clinic on Friday was fully booked, this week’s is fully booked and we are taking bookings for next week.

“People are responding well to the letters sent out.

“We are keeping a watching review of the recall’s progress and will be re-issuing letters to those that do not come forward or who may be away.

“We would like to thank the Advertiser for its responsible, accurate and well-balanced front page that got the message across.”