AT least 1,000 "vulnerable" patients in Worcester are being forced to wait for flu jabs - putting their lives at risk, claim angry residents.

The news comes after the Evening News reported on Monday that the NHS had kick-started its flu immunisation campaign - urging those aged 65 or over and vulnerable people with conditions such as heart disease, asthma and diabetes to get inoculated.

While most healthy people fight the flu effectively, these "high- risk" people, particularly the elderly, can suffer serious complications and even death.

Now one of the drugs' manufacturers Chiron has withheld all its batches of the jab - forcing 1,000 inoculation appointments to be cancelled at Haresfield House Surgery, in Bath Road, near the city centre.

The jab is made from different strains of the flu virus each year and vulnerable people need a yearly immunisation to keep protected.

One Haresfield House patient, aged 45, who wished to remain anonymous, said he was outraged and fears for his life.

He suffers from coronary heart disease and has had a heart by-pass - putting him in the "high risk" category.

"This is an absolute joke," he fumed. "I'm terrified I'll get the flu.

Another Haresfield House patient Tony Carter, aged 80, of Byefields, Kempsey, said: "This seems to be yet another NHS cock-up."

The surgery's office manager Sue O'Neill said: "We've cancelled the order with Chiron and ordered the jabs from a different company.

"The delivery is due to arrive on Friday, October 29, with appointments rescheduled to start the next day.

"We can only apologise to our patients but it's through no fault of our own.

"This has caused us a great deal of problems and hard work for the staff who have had to cancel and change over 1,000 appointments."

South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust is contacting all county GP surgeries to establish whether any others are affected and patients were assured it is still safe to be inoculated in November.

A Chiron spokesman said a small number of the vaccines had not met with testing standards and no jabs would be released until more tests were done.

"We are committed to protecting people and these extra checks will ensure that the quality, safety and effectiveness of out product meet our rigorous standards," he added.