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It has been a mixed week for swine flu vaccines.

On Wednesday GSK announced use of one particular batch of its H1N1 jab should be halted after a higher than expected rate of severe allergic reactions related to the vaccine in Canada.

On the other hand, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention came out and backed the safety of vaccination. It says 22 million Americans have been vaccinated with 3,200 – mostly minor – side effects being reported.

“The vaccine data so far really suggests this is a safe vaccine,” said the CDC’s Anne Schuchat on Wednesday (AP).

In the UK David Salisbury, director of immunisation at the Department of Health, told family doctors to step up their vaccination efforts (Times). So far only 1 million of 10m distributed doses of vaccine have been used (Financial Times).

“Clearly I would have liked a bigger number, but that is what we have so far. I would like to see an acceleration now,” says Salisbury (BBC).

Some reports have indicated that doctors and pregnant women are wary of vaccination in the UK (Pulse).

Ireland is also pushing people to be vaccinated. “Children under five are a high priority group and . . . we are concerned that we are not getting a sufficient number of them vaccinated,” said Pat Doorley, national director of population health, on Friday (Irish Times).