Influenza A(H1N1) outbreak

Update : 15 October 2009

The Scottish Government announced further details of the plans for the vaccination programme for priority groups (follow this link for details on their website). The programme will start on 21 October but will be phased in over the next few weeks.

Update: 20 August 2009

The Scottish Government has announced the priority groups who will be first to receive the vaccine against swine flu. The details can be found on their website.
Schools have also received advice to treat swine flu like other illnesses at school. There are no plans to close schools to limit the spread of the infection. Guidance sent out to head teachers for the start of the new term makes it clear that it's business as usual for the new school year.

Update: 2 July 2009

The Scottish Government confirmed that Scotland, along with the rest of the UK, is moving from “containment” to “the treatment phase” for dealing with pandemic flu.

The decision means an end to tracing contacts of confirmed cases, but as in the current phase, antivirals will continue to be available to all those who contract the H1N1 virus. As at 1 July there are 57 new confirmed cases in Scotland taking the total number to 1,217 and 7,447 in the UK.

There are ongoing discussions between the Council and NHS Lothian to ensure that appropriate actions are taken to protect specific staff groups who are involved in the close personal care of children and adults and to maintain service continuity.

Government Advice

The advice from the Government for anyone who develops flu-like symptoms or who is worried about their health is that they should stay at home and seek medical assistance by contacting NHS 24 (08454 24 24 24).

The best control measures are preventative so it is important to take simple infection control precautions such as washing your hands, covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing and using a tissue only once.

For more details about the virus please see
Influenza A-H1N1 virus questions and answers (Scottish Government website).

Information for parents

Advice and guidance for parents of nursery and schoolchildren (link to Parentzone website)

Business advice

Travel guidance

Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel information

More health advice and updates

Contacts

Name: NHS 24

Tel: 08454 24 24 24

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