GOVERNMENT health bosses have told GPs to prioritise at-risk groups for the seasonal flu jab as stocks for residents in York, Selby and Ryedale run low.

Alarm over bird flu has led more people to take up the offer of the annual vaccination, almost running the National Health Service's supply dry.

Selby and York Primary Care Trust is closely monitoring the situation and has bid for an extra batch of the vaccine, while Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCT has asked surgeries to "pool" any surplus vaccine.

Demand has been so high, the Government's own contingency stocks will be gone within a few days - even though a pandemic virus has not emerged and the annual flu jab would not help anyway.

Director of Public Health for Selby and York PCT, Rachel Johns said: "We have seen an increase in the number of people taking up their free flu vaccination. Experience has shown us the majority of

vaccinations always take place in the first part of the campaign.

"Stocks of the flu vaccine are currently low. We applied for an additional batch of vaccines and are monitoring the situation regularly."

However, anyone in an at-risk group who has not had a flu vaccination should still contact their GP.

For at-risk groups, flu can cause more serious illnesses, including bronchitis or pneumonia, which could require hospital treatment.

These groups include over-65s, those with chronic respiratory, heart, renal or liver disease, diabetes, and people living in long-stay residential care facilities.

Dr David Salisbury, head of immunisation at the Department of Health, said manufacturers had made 14 million doses available this year for the 11 million people recommended to have the vaccine.

However, many surgeries have asked for supplies above the stocks they ordered. The vaccine may have been used on the "worried well' rather than risk groups.

Dr Salisbury said the Department's contingency reserve of 400,000 doses would "soon be exhausted" and bids for extra vaccine were competing against increased international demand.

Mark Randerson, Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCT head of medicines management, said: "All of our practices either have vaccine in stock or are expecting a delivery from a vaccine manufacturer or the Department of Health in the near future. We have asked any general practice with a surplus of vaccine to make available to the PCT 'pool'.

"We expect the vast majority of at-risk patients who need vaccine will receive it before levels of flu increase above baseline. We cannot exclude the possibility that stocks may eventually run out, leaving some patients without."

Elaine Schofield, head of health improvement, added: "We still hope that our surgeries will achieve the Government's target of 70 per cent uptake from those over 65 years old."

Updated: 10:10 Thursday, November 24, 2005