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The surgeries Seasonal Flu Jab Clinic is to be held on Friday 1st October please phone the surgery from September 7th onwards to book your clinic slot if you are eligible for a vaccination.
Flu (influenza) is a highly infectious illness that spreads rapidly through the coughs and sneezes of people who are carrying the virus.
Flu symptoms hit quite suddenly and severely. They usually include fever, chills, headaches and aching muscles. You can often get a cough and sore throat.
Anyone can get flu, but it can be more serious for:
- people aged 65 or over, and
- people of any age (including children over six months of age) with a serious medical condition.
If you are in one of these two groups, you're more vulnerable to the effects of flu (even if you're fit and healthy) and could develop more serious illnesses, such as bronchitis and pneumonia, which could result in hospitalisation.
Flu can also make any existing medical condition worse.
Get the jab
It’s free and it's effective against the latest flu virus strains.
Even if you've already had a flu jab, you need another one this year. The flu jab only protects you for a year. This is because the viruses that cause flu are always changing. Flu this winter will be different from flu last winter, so the vaccine will also be different to last year's.
Ask for a flu jab appointment if you’re 65 or over, or if you have any of the following problems (however old you are):
- a serious heart or chest complaint, including asthma,
- serious kidney disease,
- diabetes,
- lowered immunity due to disease or treatment such as steroid medication or cancer treatment, or
- if you have ever had a stroke.
We also advise you to have a flu jab if you have serious liver disease, multiple sclerosis (MS) or another degenerative disease of the central nervous system.
Children and carers
If you’re the parent of a child (over the age of six months) with a long-term condition, speak to your GP about the flu jab. Your child’s condition may get worse if they catch flu.
If you’re the carer of an elderly or disabled person, make sure they’ve had their flu jab. If you receive a carer’s allowance or are the main carer for an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if you get flu, you could be eligible for a flu jab too. Ask us for advice or go to Carers Direct for information about Flu jabs for carers.
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