PEOPLE in danger of suffering complications due to contracting swine flu are being contacted by their GPs so they can be vaccinated.

An NHS Plymouth spokesman said yesterday the swine flu vaccination programme for priority groups was under way in Plymouth, where a predicted 8,000 patients fell into this category.

All GP surgeries in the city had received the vaccine and were contacting patients with serious health conditions to ask them to attend the surgeries for the vaccination. Pregnant women and people who live with people who had weak immune systems were also being vaccinated.

People in priority groups would be contacted by medical staff and did not need to contact their surgeries.

He said the NHS had also begun the vaccination programme for people staying in residential and nursing homes and housebound patients with serious health conditions.

Staff carrying out vaccinations were contacting them before arranging a visit to the homes.

The spokesman said the vaccination process had begun on December 7 and would take a number of weeks to complete.

The priority groups are:

Everyone who is offered the seasonal flu vaccine because of a long-term health condition, including lung disease, heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, neurological diseases, diabetes or a weakened immune system.

Women at any stage of pregnancy.

People who live with someone with a weakened immune system.

The spokesman said experience had shown that people with underlying health conditions, pregnant women and those with a weakened immune system were more likely to be susceptible to swine flu and could suffer complications.

The Government has also announced that the next priority group will be children aged under five, and arrangements are being made for them to be vaccinated shortly.

It said parents would not need to contact their surgery, and instead would be contacted once the programme was under way.

Nicola Jones, deputy director for primary care at NHS Plymouth, thanked local practices for 'working incredibly hard to offer the vaccination to patients during what is always a very busy time of year.'

She added that NHS Plymouth encouraged everyone who was invited to have the vaccine to do so.

"Whilst it appears that we have seen the peak of the second wave of the pandemic, it's likely that swine flu will be around for some time and we may well see another surge before the winter's out," she said.

"Most people experience just mild symptoms but for a small number the consequences are much more severe. Having the vaccine will help to reduce the potentially devastating effects getting swine flu can mean."

People with questions about the vaccine can visit the NHS Direct website at www.nhs.uk or call 0800 1 513 513. Those who think they may have swine flu should log on to www.direct.gov.uk/swineflu or call the National Pandemic Flu Service on 0800 1 513 100 for advice.

NHS Plymouth has produced a swine flu advice video featuring local health staff.