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A decision made (12/11/2009) regarding: H1N1 Influenza Pandemic - Vaccination Programme Funding.

Decision Reference: MD-TR-2009-0182
Decision Summary Title:	H1N1 Influenza Pandemic – Vaccination Programme Funding		Date of Decision Summary:	11/11/09
Decision Summary Author:	Deputy Treasurer		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/a
Written Report Title:	H1N1 Influenza Pandemic – Vaccination Programme Funding		Date of Written Report:	11/11/09
Written Report Author:	Deputy Treasurer		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: H1N1 Influenza Pandemic – Vaccination Programme Funding
Decision(s): The Minister decided to:  Authorise the withdrawal of up to £378,000 by the Treasury and Resources Department from the Consolidated Fund, under Article 16(3) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005, to meet immediate and urgent costs associated with the vaccination programme for H1N1 influenza.  Lodge the attached amendment to Proposition P174/2009, asking the States to approve the withdrawal of the funding referred to above under Article 16(3) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005; and to reduce the level of contingency funding identified in P174/2009 by an equivalent amount, from £4,200,000 to £3,822,000.
Reason(s) for Decision: Being satisfied that there is an immediate threat to the safety of islanders, to provide immediate and urgent funding to enable the Health and Social Services Department to complete the H1N1 influenza vaccination programme.
Resource Implications: Resource implications are contained within the attached report.
Action required: The Greffier to lodge the attached amendment to P174/2009 at the earliest opportunity.
Signature:		Position: Senator P F C Ozouf, Minister for Treasury and Resources
Date Signed:		Date of Decision:

H1N1 Influenza Pandemic - Vaccination Programme Funding

P174/2009 Amendment

in part (a) replace £1,347,000 with £1,725,000

in part (b) replace £4,200,000 with £3,822,000

H1N1 Influenza Vaccination Programme Funding

Background

P174/2009 reported that the States’ Pandemic Flu Co-ordinating Group had advised the Minister for Treasury and Resources that a major wave of illness due to pandemic influenza A H1N1 2009 (swine flu) is expected this autumn / winter and that action was needed urgently to reduce the impact on the people of Jersey.

The Minister approved £1,347,000 of immediate expenditure under Article 16(3) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005.

P174/2009 asks the States to approve this expenditure under Article 16(3) and also consider establishing a contingency fund under Article 11(8) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005 to manage the consequences of the influenza pandemic.

Vaccination Programme

A key element of the containment phase of the process is the vaccination programme. The aim of the vaccination programme is to offer vaccination to all islanders to protect them from the effects of this flu pandemic. If the vaccine programme can be completed ahead of the major wave then the number of people experiencing the effects of flu would be considerably reduced. This in turn would reduce work absenteeism, reduce losses to the economy and of course reduce the pressure on the hospital.

The vaccination programme is underway and progressing well. Phase 1 of the programme has involved immunising healthcare workers, pregnant women and women who have recently given birth. In addition, patients on renal dialysis have been immunised within the first phase by H&SS staff, as have staff and residents of residential care homes. General practitioners are immunising those in clinical at risk groups starting with the youngest patients first and then progressing through the age cohorts; in addition GPs are immunising family members of those who are immunosuppressed.

Phase 2 (start date November 11th) involves offering immunisation to 16,000 nursery and school age children. These vaccinations will be delivered by H&SS nurse immunisers over six days.

Phase 3a will involve offering swine flu vaccination to teachers, carers and to essential workers including police, fire service and prison officers. Phase 3b will involve offering vaccine to the general public.

Funding for the first stage of the vaccination programme was authorised by the Minister for Treasury and Resources in September 2009. In order to ensure that the vaccination programme can progress without delay and therefore provide the maximum possible protection to islanders, the Pandemic Flu Steering Group, including the States’ Medical Officer of Health, requested that the Minister approve the remaining expenditure relating to the vaccination programme under Article 16(3) of the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005.

The cost of completing the vaccination programme is estimated to be approximately £378,000, bringing the total cost of delivering the vaccination programme to £440,000.

This approval has the effect of increasing the expenditure approval under Article 16(3) to £1,725,000 and reducing the expenditure approval requested under Article 11(8) to £3,822,000, as detailed in P174/2009. The net effect being no change in the overall total.