The national flu immunisation programme, ensures that each year a free flu vaccination is available on the NHS to protect those individuals at higher risk of flu.
Since 2013, flu vaccination has been offered to children in a phased roll out, to provide both individual protection to the children and reduce transmission across all age groups to protect vulnerable members of the population.
Why should you get the flu vaccination?
For most people, flu lasts only a few days, but for some people, flu is of particular concern. In people with pre-existing heart and/or lung conditions, the elderly, children under 2 years of age, pregnant women and persons with impaired immune systems.
Who’s eligible for the vaccination?
- all children aged two to ten (but not eleven years or older) on 31 August 2019
- those aged six months to under 65 years in clinical risk groups
- pregnant women
- those aged 65 years and over
- those in long-stay residential care homes
- carers
- close contacts of immunocompromised individuals.
Is the vaccination available for frontline staff?
The vaccination is also recommended for frontline health and social care workers.
Social care workers and hospice staff can access the vaccine through the NHS community pharmacy, their GP, or their occupational health scheme. To complement these schemes Kirklees Public Health has commissioned a service to provide flu vaccination to frontline social care workers in care homes.
When should I get the vaccination?
It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies that protect against flu to develop in the body, so make plans to get vaccinated early autumn, before the flu season begins. Some medical researchers recommend that people get a flu vaccine by the end of October.
How often should you have the vaccination?
Anyone in the risk groups are more likely to develop potentially serious complications of flu, such as pneumonia (a lung infection), so it’s recommended that they have a flu vaccine every year to help protect them.
Are there any changes this year?
For the first time, the nasal spray vaccine will be offered to all primary school aged children, which means an extra 600,000 children will be protected. Find out what’s new for 2019.
Where can you have the vaccination?
- your GP surgery
- a local community pharmacy ( Over 18 years of age)
If you have your flu vaccine at a pharmacy, you do not have to inform a GP. The community pharmacy will ensure your GP is made aware.
Do I have flu? Check your symptoms.