At-risk patients refuse swine flu jab

Thousands of people most at risk from swine flu are refusing to be vaccinated because of unfounded safety fears.

GPs must offer the jab to all priority patients, such as pregnant women or those with asthma or undergoing cancer treatment. But they said today as many as two thirds have either turned down the jab or failed to show up.

Laurence Buckman, British Medical Association GP committee chairman, said: "Some people think they've had swine flu so don't need it, others think it's not tested enough. These are legitimate reasons but they're wrong."

NHS London said all 1,700 GP surgeries in the capital have received their first batch of vaccine for 500 priority patients; it was too soon to say how many people have had the jab.

About a million people in England in at-risk groups were immunised in the first month of the scheme.