Flu In Adults The flu vaccine is gieb free on the NHS
to people who;
Are 50 and over (including those who'll be
50 by 31 March 2022)
Have certain health conditions
Are pregnant
Are in long-stay residential care
Receive a carer's allowance, or are the main
carer for an older or disabled person who may be at risk
if you get sick
Live with someone who is more likely to get
infections (such as someone who has HIV, has had a transplant
or is having certain treatments for cancer, lupus or rheumatoid
arthritis)
Frontline health or social care workers
Where To Get The Flu Vaccine You can have the NHS flu vaccine at:
Your GP surgery
A pharmacy offering the
service
Your midwifery service
if you're pregnant
A hospital appointment
If you do not have your flu vaccine at your
GP surgery, you do not have to tell the surgery. This will
be done for you.
Flu For People With
Long-term Health Conditions The flu vaccine is offered free on the
NHS to anyone with a serious long-term health condition,
including:
Respiratory conditions,
such as asthma (needing steroid inhaler or tablets), chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including emphysema
and bronchitis
diabetes
Heart conditions, such
as coronary heart disease or heart failure
Being very overweight
– a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above
Chronic kidney disease
Liver disease, such as
hepatitis
Neurological conditions,
such as Parkinson's disease, motor neurone disease, multiple
sclerosis (MS), or cerebral palsy
A learning disability
Problems with your spleen,
for example, sickle cell disease, or if you have had your
spleen removed
A weakened immune
system as the result of conditions such as HIV and AIDS,
or taking Medicines such as steroid tablets or chemotherapy
Talk to your doctor if you have a long-term
condition that is not in one of these groups. They should
offer you the flu vaccine if they think you're at risk of
serious problems if you get flu.
APPOINTMENTS FOR ALL AGE GROUPS
ARE NOW AVAILABLE. PLEASE CALL THE PRACTICE TO BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT.
ALL IMMUNISATIONS ARE ADMINSTERED MONDAYS THROUGH TILL FRIDAY
- PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU ARE WEARING MASK/FACE COVERINGS AND
GLOVES
Flu Vaccine If You're Pregnant You should have the flu vaccine
if you're pregnant to help protect you and your baby.
It's safe to have the flu vaccine at
any stage of pregnancy.
Flu Vaccine For Frontline
Health And Social Care Workers Most If you're a frontline health
and social care worker, your employer should offer you
a flu vaccine. They may give the vaccine at your workplace.
You can also have an NHS flu vaccine
at a GP surgery or a pharmacy, if you're a health or
social care worker employed by a:
Registered residential
care or nursing home
Registered homecare
organisation
Hospice
You can also have the flu vaccine
if you provide health or social care through direct
payments or personal
health budgets, or both.
Who
Should Have The Flu Vaccine Most adults can have the flu
vaccine, but you should avoid it if you have had
a serious allergic reaction to a flu vaccine in
the past.
You may be at risk of an allergic
reaction to the flu vaccine injection if you have
an egg allergy. This is because some flu vaccines
are made using eggs.
Ask a GP or pharmacist for a low-egg
or egg-free vaccine.
If you're ill with a high temperature,
it's best to wait until you're better before having
the flu vaccine.
How
Effective Is The Flu Vaccine? The flu vaccine gives the best
protection against flu.
Flu vaccines help protect against
the main types of flu viruses, although there's
still a chance you might get flu.
If you do get flu after vaccination,
it's likely to be milder and not last as long.
Having the flu vaccine will also
stop you spreading flu to other people who may
be more at risk of serious problems from flu.
It can take 10 to 14 days for the
flu vaccine to work.
Flu Vaccine
Side Effects lu vaccines are very safe.
All adult flu vaccines are given by injection
into the muscle of the upper arm.
Most side effects are mild
and only last for a day or so, such as:
Slightly
raised temperature
Muscle aches
Sore arm where the needle went in – this
is more likely to happen with the vaccine for
people aged 65 and over
Try these tips to help reduce
the discomfort:
Continue
to move your arm regularly
Take a painkiller, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen
– some people, including those who are
pregnant, should not take ibuprofen unless a
doctor recommends it
Allergice
Reactions To The Flu Vaccine It's very rare for anyone to
have a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)
to the flu vaccine. If this does happen, it usually
happens within minutes.
The person who vaccinates you will
be trained to deal with allergic reactions and
treat them immediately.
Anyone can report a suspected side
effect of a vaccine through the Yellow
Card Scheme.
Flu Vaccine
Ingredients There are several types of
injected flu vaccine. None of them contain live
viruses so they cannot give you flu.
If you're eligible for the
flu vaccine on the NHS, you'll be offered one
that's most effective for you, depending on your
age:
Adults
aged 18 to 64 – there are different types,
including low-egg and egg-free ones
Adults
aged 65 and over – the most common one
contains an extra ingredient to help your immune
system make a stronger response to the vaccine
Children aged between 6 months
and 2 years who have a long-term health condition
are offered an approved injected flu vaccine instead
of the nasal spray vaccine.
Talk to a GP, practice nurse or
pharmacist for more information about these vaccines.
All links come
from trusted sources, however, if you are unsure about them
or any other medical concerns, contact your doctor or pharmacist
for further advice
Website updated on
24th
August 2021,
next review date due: 24th August 2022