NHS England will not be extending free flu jabs to cover dental professionals, despite urging frontline workers to have one as soon as possible.

The health and social care service’s senior clinicians and leaders have urged frontline colleagues to get their annual flu jab as soon as possible, as the first vaccine deliveries start to reach local employers this week.

In a letter addressed to 'All NHS frontline workers' – but sent in error to every NHS dentist in England this week, according to the BDA – officials at NHS England strongly encouraged participation in the scheme.

This comes alongside an expanded flu vaccination programme for both the public and frontline health and social care workers, with a record 30 million people eligible for a free vaccine this year.

Frontline staff are at higher risk of catching flu due to their contact with patients and those they care for.

With the first batches of this year’s vaccines arriving from this week, hospitals and other local NHS organisations across England will be starting to run drop-in clinics and promotional activity with the aim of ensuring that every single eligible member of staff is able to get it this year.

There is also an expanded offer this year for frontline social care workers who are all eligible to get a free flu vaccination from a GP or pharmacy.

NHS England write: 'Staff who get flu require time off work, putting pressure on services at what can be the busiest time of the year any year. Research suggests that a 10% increase in NHS staff vaccination reduces healthcare worker sickness absence by about 10%.'

However, dentists and their teams are not included in the scheme in England although in both Northern Ireland and Scotland dental professionals are eligible to access the vaccine free of charge.

Of course, some dental professionals are entitled to access a free shot due to underlying health conditions, for example.

Chair of the British Dental Association's General Dental Practice Committee, Dave Cottam, said: 'It's absurd that on the cusp of flu season a service struggling to meet demand is still being offered no protection.

'A letter sent to every NHS dentist in England accurately outlined the real threat this virus can pose to staff, their families and to vulnerable patients. Sadly, this newfound concern for the workforce – and the millions we treat – was simply an administrative error.

'Officials need to apply their own logic to dentists and their staff. Continued failure to treat us as key workers hits our teams, and millions desperate to access our services. We are NHS frontline workers. Devolved governments have recognised this. The risks remain the same, regardless of your postcode.'

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