By Marjory Inglis, health reporter

A TOP Tayside GP last night urged younger adults and children at risk from flu to accept the offer of vaccination.

Dr Andrew Buist, who has played a key role at national level in planning the flu vaccination programme which begins next week, highlighted the need to encourage more people with medical conditions such as heart disease and severe asthma to seek vaccination.

While the vast majority of elderly people presented themselves for vaccination last year, the younger at-risk groups attending for flu jabs fell woefully short of the national target—just 37.8% against a target of 60%.

This group is to be particularly targeted in a bid to protect more of those most vulnerable to flu.

Dr Buist, a family doctor at Ardblair Surgery, Blairgowrie, sits on the Scottish Government’s flu vaccination group which meets in Edinburgh every month, monitoring the production of the vaccine and planning the advertising campaign that blitzes the public with information.

He said all patients over 65 and those in the younger at-risk groups could expect a letter to be dropping through their door soon advising of their entitlement to vaccination.

Most GP practices now organise special flu vaccination days when people can just drop in without an appointment and patients can expect to be notified of these dates.

Dr Buist said there was no indication of any delays in supplying and distributing the vaccines and he expected no repetition of the problems experienced last year with shortages.

“There are no significant problems with the vaccines and they will be getting delivered through community pharmacies to general practices within the next few weeks,” said Dr Buist.

While the advertising blitz starts in the coming week, most patients will be vaccinated during November when the major flu vaccination days are organised by individual medical practices.

“After that people will still be able to get a vaccination if they make an appointment with the nurse,” said Dr Buist, confirming that ideally all those requiring vaccination will get jabs before Christmas, ahead of the flu season.