The national stockpile of 30m swine flu vaccine doses will be available for the coming flu season, when swine flu is expected to circulate.

But according to the Department of Health this stockpile expires in October 2011 meaning any doses not administered this winter will be unusable by next year’s flu season.

Last week, DoH accounts showed how the department lost over £200m on unused monovalent swine flu vaccine and antivirals in 2009/10. The department wrote off the loss but said the vaccine would be retained for future use. Unfortunately, the current product combines swine flu with the seasonal vaccine product so most of the stockpile is destined for incineration.

It’s an ill wind…..