FRONTLINE hospital staff have become the first people in north Essex to receive the swine flu jab.

Staff queued at Colchester General Hospital to receive their inoculation yesterday.

A clinic was set up by Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust, which has received 1,500 doses of vaccine for its employees.

A similar service will run at Essex County Hospital, Colchester, on Monday.

Staff at Clacton District Hospital, Clacton and the Fryatt Hospital, Dovercourt, will also be offered the chance to be inoculated.

The trust is encouraging all staff who have direct contact with patients, such as doctors, nurses, midwives, physiotherapists and radiotherapists, to get vaccinated.

Julie Firth, director of nursing and patient experience, said: “Keeping patients safe during the swine flu pandemic is a critical priority.

“The easiest way for our frontline staff to reduce their chances of spreading the virus to vulnerable patients is to be vaccinated against swine flu and seasonal flu.

“It is important for these staff to get their flu jabs as soon as possible so they are fit and ready to support colleagues during what is likely to be a tough winter for the NHS.”