Health and Wellbeing - Flu vaccine
Cumbria's flu vaccination programme is a vital part of keeping people in our communities safe this winter, having a flu jab doesn't just protect you, it also protects those around you.
This year there is likely to be a change to the way you receive your flu vaccine as health teams have to factor in social distancing and infection prevention measures to keep people safe.
Some surgeries will be offering drive through options, using local community centres or calling people for time specific appointments, rather than the traditional drop-in clinics.
Your guide to this year's flu vaccination
This year's flu campaign is the biggest one yet, with an increase in those eligible to get the free vaccination. With the added threat of Covid-19 this winter it is more important than ever to make sure those who are most vulnerable are protected from the flu.
This year, eligible groups include:
- everyone aged 65 and over
- everyone under 65 years of age who has a medical condition, including children and babies over six months of age
- all pregnant women, at any stage of pregnancy
- all two and three year-old children (provided they were aged two or three years old on 31 August of the current flu season)
- all children in primary school
- all Year 7 secondary school-aged children
- everyone living in a residential or nursing home
- everyone who cares for an older or disabled person
- household contacts of anyone on the NHS Shielded Patient List
- all frontline health and social care workers
People on the NHS Shielded Patient List for COVID-19 are also eligible for a free flu vaccine and it is really important this year that they receive it.
It is important that people who are clinically vulnerable are prioritised so people aged 50-64 will be able to access the vaccine later in the year - from November. However, if you are aged 50-64 in an at-risk group, you should not delay having your flu vaccine.
Find out more at nhs.uk/fluvaccine.
This year there is likely to be a change to the way many people receive their flu vaccine as health teams have to factor in social distancing and infection prevention measures to keep people safe.
Some GP surgeries will be offering drive through options, using local community centres or calling for people for time specific appointments, rather than the traditional drop-in clinics.
Practices are now contacting eligible patients and calling them for their flu vaccine - this could be by letter, text or phone. Doctors are urging patients who usually get called for the flu jab to be ready and to be clear about how and when they will get it this year. Information will be posted on practice websites and their social media.
You can also have the vaccine at your local pharmacy.
Children aged two and three years will be given the vaccination at their general practice usually by the practice nurse. Nearly all school-aged children will be offered the flu vaccine in school, remember to sign the consent form and return it to school as soon as possible. For most children, the vaccine will be given as a spray in each nostril. This is a very quick and painless procedure. For more information on children and flu vaccination see the NHS website information at nhs.uk/child-flu.
For pregnant women, the vaccine may also be available through maternity services.
If you are a frontline health or social care worker, your employer should notify you of arrangements to get vaccinated.
Flu occurs every year, usually in the winter, which is why it's sometimes called seasonal flu. It's a highly infectious disease with symptoms that come on very quickly. Colds are much less serious and usually start gradually with a stuffy or runny nose and a sore throat. A bad bout of flu can be much worse than a heavy cold. The most common symptoms of flu are fever, chills, headache, aches and pains in the joints and muscles, and extreme tiredness. Healthy individuals usually recover within two to seven days, but for some the disease can lead to hospitalisation, permanent disability or even death.
It is best to have the flu vaccination in the autumn before any outbreaks of flu. Remember that you need it every year, so don't assume you are protected because you had one last year.
There are several types of flu vaccine. You will be offered one that is most effective for you, depending upon your age, from the following:
- children aged 2 to 17 are offered a live vaccine as a nasal spray. The live viruses have been weakened so it cannot give you flu.
- adults aged 18 to 64 are offered an injectable vaccine. It is an inactivated vaccine that does not contain any live viruses and cannot give you flu. There are different types available depending on how they were manufactured.
- adults aged 65 and over are offered an injected vaccine. It is an inactivated vaccine that does not contain any live viruses and cannot give you flu. Usually, you will be offered one that contains an adjuvant that helps the immune system create a stronger response to the vaccine. It is offered to people in this age group because as people age their immune system responds less well to vaccines.
If your child is aged between 6 months and 2 years old and is in a high-risk group for flu, they will be offered an injected flu vaccine as the nasal spray is not licensed for children under the age of two.
Some children over the age of two who are in a high-risk group will also need to have an injected vaccine if the nasal spray vaccine is not suitable for them.
People with learning disabilities can also be offered the vaccine as a nasal spray.
While COVID-19 is in circulation, providers of flu vaccination will have measures in place to keep you safe. Staff giving the vaccine will be wearing protective equipment to protect both you and themselves from the virus. Appointment times may also be scheduled to reduce numbers in the waiting area or you may be asked not to arrive early. You may also be advised to wear a face covering.
People sometimes think a bad cold is flu, but having flu can often be much worse than a cold and you may need to stay in bed for a few days. Some people are more susceptible to the effects of flu. For them, it can increase the risk of developing more serious illnesses such as bronchitis and pneumonia, or can make existing conditions worse. In the worst cases, flu can result in a stay in hospital, or even death.
The flu vaccine won't protect you against COVID-19. But it will help protect you against flu, which is an unpleasant and potentially serious infection that can cause complications leading to hospital admission. Helping to protect against flu is particularly important with COVID-19 in circulation because people vulnerable to COVID-19 are also at risk of complications from flu.
Public Health England has published translated versions of the latest flu vaccine guidance, please see:
Guidance for parents and carers:
More leaflets:
- Wash your hands regularly or use hand sanitiser.
- Catch it, bin it, kill it - catching any coughs or sneezes in a tissue or their elbow, put used tissues immediately in the bin and wash their hands afterwards.
- Please continue to follow the public health guidance to protect yourself and others from coronavirus, you can see all the guidance at gov.uk/coronavirus.
- If you need medical advice when a pharmacy is closed, call 111 or go to 111.nhs.uk.
- Keep your home warm. If you are struggling to afford heating costs you may be able to claim financial and practical help. Grants available include the Winter Fuel Payment and the Cold Weather Payment.
- Look in on vulnerable neighbours and relatives but remember to stay 2 metres apart from people not in your support bubble.
- Don't forget to keep stock of medicines you may need.
- Pharmacists can give you treatment advice for a range of minor illnesses. They will also tell you if you need to see a doctor.