Flu spread by unvaccinated NHS frontline staff

Health workers have been blamed for putting vulnerable patients at risk and worsening the winter’s flu outbreak by refusing to have flu jabs.

Fewer than one in seven frontline NHS staff had a flu jab last year, The Times has learnt, despite a recommendation that they do so. The Royal College of General Practitioners called last night for hospital doctors, GPs, nurses, carers and other staff to have compulsory jabs or be banned from contact with patients other than in exceptional circumstances.

Figures to be published next week by the Department of Health will show that the vast majority of health professionals ignored government advice that everyone in direct contact with patients be immunised.

Of the hundreds of patients seriously affected by staff transmission of flu, some were infected while being treated in high-dependency wards...

It strikes me that either 'flu jabs are a good idea or they aren't. If they are, then surely NHS staff should be following their own guidelines. If they aren't - as evidenced by the fact that NHS staff don't believe in them - then why does it peddle them, spend a fortune on vaccines* and expect the rest of us to have ourselves immunised?

Source: The Times

* Oh, I see ...