Leading Health Department officials, including the chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, have written to hospital managers six times in the last five weeks to stress the urgent need to vaccinate doctors and nurses against swine flu.

Hospitals expect only a faction of staff to volunteer to receive the vaccine Photo: REUTERS

There are signs that many health staff will decide against being immunised because of doubts about the vaccine’s effectiveness, fear of side-effects and a view that swine flu is not particularly dangerous.

The Department of Health fears that the low take-up of the vaccine could have serious consequences when the expected second wave of the pandemic hits in the winter flu season.