THE majority of front-line healthcare staff have refused to have the swine flu vaccine, the Mail can reveal.

Despite recommendations from health officials, 70 per cent of staff who are eligible for the vaccine across Hull and the East Riding have refused it.

Frontline staff and social care workers have had the opportunity to be immunised since October last year.

They were offered the vaccine at the same time as the first clinical "at-risk" groups.

However, figures obtained by the Mail through a request made under the Freedom of Information Act found only 2,488 staff have had the jab.

A total of 8,000 staff were offered the vaccination.

At Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, 6,255 staff members are eligible, but only 1,780 staff, or 28.5 per cent, have opted to be immunised.

At Hull PCT, 879 staff are eligible for the vaccine, but just 274, or 31 per cent, have had the jab.

And at East Riding of Yorkshire PCT, 915 staff are eligible, and only 434 staff, or 47 per cent, have opted to have the vaccine.

The Mail understands staff, some of whom are GPs who will be advising patients to have the vaccine, are turning it down because of safety concerns.

A spokesperson for NHS Hull said: "Our most recent figures show less than one in every three staff members who are eligible for the swine flu vaccine have received it.

"Staff have been made fully aware of the benefits of vaccination for both themselves and their patients.

"All NHS front-line healthcare workers have been strongly encouraged to have the vaccination, however it is ultimately each person's choice whether to do so."

Dr David Hepburn, medical director for Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said staff cannot be forced to have the vaccine.

He said: "The swine flu vaccination was made available to trust front-line healthcare staff on a purely voluntary basis.

"Therefore, staff were under no obligation to either be vaccinated or provide any reason why they did not wish to be vaccinated.

"It was a national recommendation that staff accept the offer of a vaccination."

Dr Tim Allison, director of Public Health for the East Riding, said he was encouraged by the results.

He said: "We are encouraged by the uptake of the swine flu vaccine among front-line staff."