'Roving' vaccination van to tackle surge in 'super flu' across the south east

The NHS is rolling out a 'roving' vaccination unit to try and increase the take-up of the treatment as hospitals battle a surge in flu cases before Christmas. A new mutation of the virus is driving an unusually early flu season, with hospitalisations rising rapidly in some areas across the south east, ahead of a five-day doctor strike due to start on Wednesday (17 December).

Targeting Hard-to-Reach Areas

To reduce the strain on services, a mobile vaccination van is offering the flu jab to people who might not be able to access a pharmacy. The unit targets hard-to-reach areas in Kent and offers vaccinations without an appointment. Olly Basau-Sanni, a pharmacist working in the unit, said: "The beauty of having a roving unit is you're able to go to some of those hard to reach pockets."

He added: "You've got those places where people have limited access, either because they've lost their pharmacy or their pharmacy is not doing all the services. We're able to go into these pockets and really target it. We're very much driven by data. So where the data is low is where we go to." Additionally, patients can get a flu vaccination at the mobile unit without having to book an appointment beforehand.

Impact of the 'Super Flu' Mutation

Hospitals across the country have been reacting to the Influenza A mutation, known as H3N2 and nicknamed 'super flu'. At Darent Valley hospital in Dartford staff and visitors have been asked to wear masks in all clinical areas. There'll also be enhanced cleaning, and temporarily limited visiting on wards with flu patients. Elsewhere, University Hospitals Sussex has imposed mask wearing in clinical areas. But some regions have seen a trend indicating a drop in cases. In Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells hospitals officials have said that flu cases are actually down.

Vaccination Take-up Data

Data from the government shows the current uptake levels for the vaccine across different groups:

Category	Vaccination Rate
People aged over 65 in England	75 per cent
People in the 'at-risk' category	40 per cent

Industrial Action and Healthcare Strain

The outbreak continues as resident doctors today (15th December) voted go on strike for five days after the British Medical Association (BMA) rejected an offer from the government. The BMA had been consulting resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, on whether or not to press ahead with a five-day walkout from 7am on December 17 to 7am on December 22. The union voted by 83% to 17% to continue with the strike action, with a turnout of 65%.