NHS bosses urged GPs to purchase a CHEAPER flu jab that doesn't protect against deadly 'Japanese flu', leaked files reveal
- A regional NHS England team advised doctors to purchase the trivalent jab
- This jab offers no protection against the B Yamagata strain, or 'Japanese flu'
- They said buying the quadrivalent jab would add 'significant cost pressures'
- The vaccine costs the NHS £2.75 more per dose but it would have helped
- Doctors fear the decision may have fueled the severity of this year's outbreak
Health chiefs ordered GPs to order cheap flu vaccines which are ineffective against the strain of flu causing most havoc in the UK, leaked files show.
NHS England asked doctors to purchase the trivalent jab - which offers no protection against the B Yamagata strain, referred to as 'Japanese flu'.
In guidance sent to local bosses, they warned that buying the quadrivalent jab would add 'significant cost pressures' amid concerns over funding.
The vaccine costs the NHS £2.75 more per dose, but it would have protected against Japanese flu - responsible for half of flu hospitalisations this winter.
Doctors fear the controversial decision may have fueled the severity of this year's outbreak, considered one of the worst to hit the UK in recent decades.
The known death toll across the home nations currently sits at 97 - but is likely to be much higher. More fatalities are expected in the coming weeks.
Thousands have been left hospitalised by flu - with nearly half caused by Japanese flu and a fifth from H3N2 - commonly referred to as 'Aussie flu'.
NHS England asked doctors to purchase the trivalent jab - which offers no protection against the B Yamagata strain, referred to as 'Japanese flu' (stock)
Nick Scriven, president of the Society of Acute Medicine, told HSJ: 'Not using the quadrivalent vaccine has increased the risk of flu admissions [this year].
'Half of the flu cases we are getting are the A strain, half are the B. It’s probably about half the cases that are coming into hospital that may have been prevented.'
It comes after private GPs were yesterday accused of cashing in on the flu crisis by charging £45 for a vaccine that costs the NHS just £8.
And just two weeks after health chiefs admitted the current flu jab is ineffective for over-75s and ordered doctors to switch to a new version next winter.
Latest figures show that the flu outbreak in the UK shows no signs of letting up, with cases rocketing by 35 per cent in a week.
Projections also state the four home nations are on the brink of an epidemic in the coming few weeks, with Scotland being hit the hardest.
The most recent in-depth breakdown shows 1,938 people have been hospitalised by the flu in England so far this winter.
Some 199 were caused by H1N1, which triggered the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic that killed 50 million.
A further 448 strains of influenza A were unidentified while 432 have been caused by H3N2, which rocked Australia during the country's winter.
The remaining 859 cases were caused by strains of influenza B, including 'Japanese flu', which usually produces less side effects, according to PHE data.
The HSJ investigation suggests a large chunk of those latter cases could have been avoided had GPs been advised to purchase the quadrivalent jab.
One NHS England regional team, which is responsible for commissioning advice in its area, urged GPs to choose trivalent vaccines for this winter's flu season.
The advice was seen in documents from last year sent to three CCGs, responsible for commissioning services, that were obtained by HSJ.
Trivalent vaccines protect against two influenza A strains, H1N1 and H3N2, and one influenza B strain - but not Yamagata. Doses are believed to cost the NHS £5.25.
The quadrivalent flu vaccine protects against the same strains the trivalent vaccine does, as well as the extra influenza B virus. Doses are believed to cost the NHS £8.
Figures show 11 million people deemed at risk, including pregnant women, the over-65s and children under the age of two, received the flu jab in 2016.
NHS England South was shown to have emphasised the 'cost effectiveness' of the trivalent vaccine in governing body papers published by West Kent CCG.
The document read: 'The quadrivalent vaccine is "preferable" all things being equal, but it is not mandated for the adult programme.
'The quadrivalent vaccine has a higher cost than the trivalent vaccine and this would add significant cost pressures to the prescribing budget across the South East.'
It said chiefs 'should select the product with the lowest purchase price to the NHS and not purchase the quadrivalent vaccine for adults'.
The HSJ investigation found the same was published by Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge CCGs and North Hampshire CCG.
Papers from nine separate CCGs show NHS regional teams also advised GPs not to order the more expensive vaccine.
NHS England told the website it had not sent out any national advice to GPs, as regional teams have the final say on what instructions are dished out.
The flu vaccine is available on the NHS for over-65s, children between two to eight, pregnant women and patients with long-term conditions.
Some patients entitled to an NHS jab have decided to pay privately for the more powerful four-strain vaccine amid fears the trivalent is ineffective.
Several Boots stores in the Midlands, East Anglia, South and South West said they had run out of the flu jab at the weekend.
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