NORTH-EAST doctors are worried that publicity about bird flu and a possible worldwide pandemic might discourage take-up of free flu jabs in the region.

But concerns over bird flu should not deter people from having their usual jab, health experts in the region have stressed.

Doctors said yesterday that elderly people and those with long-term chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and asthma are actually more at risk from mainstream flu this winter than a pandemic.

Every winter, up to 700 people in the North-East will die because of flu.

Dr Nonnie Crawford, director of public health with Darlington Primary Care Trust, said: "Individuals are much more at risk from the flu that comes around every year than they are of the pandemic flu that we are all talking about."

Dr Crawford said the ordinary flu jab would not protect people from a pandemic caused by bird flu, which could become a threat to humans.

But she stressed that the best way to reduce the chance of getting regular flu this winter was to have a jab in the next few weeks.

Across the region, teams of nurses are beginning the task of immunising hundreds of thousands of people at risk.

"People are talking about avian flu as if it is something that is a risk to us here today. Actually, it is a risk to birds. Unless it mutates," said Dr Crawford.

"I would hope that rather than say 'I am not going to bother , I am going to wait for something else to come along', that people will pop along to their practice, have a chat with their district nurse, phone up NHS Direct or look on the web and then get themselves booked in for a jab."

Age Concern England director general Gordon Lishman, said: "Many older people will be concerned about the potential spread of bird flu.

"While there is no specific immunisation for this strain of flu, this should not put older people off getting their flu jab this year."

Dr David Walker, acting regional director of public health, said "Ordinary flu is still going to be responsible for a large number of deaths this winter and the more people in the risk groups that get vaccinated, the fewer deaths we will have."

* Information about flu jabs is available on www.nhs direct.nhs.uk