The adult covid and flu vaccination programmes had been due to start in October to maximise protection over the winter months, but now those most at risk including adult care home residents will be vaccinated from 11 September. If you have a child over 6 months of age who has one of the long-term health conditions listed above, they should have a flu vaccination. Any children with these conditions are more likely to become severely ill if they catch flu, and it could make their existing condition worse. Talk to your GP about your child having the flu vaccination before the flu season starts. carers in receipt of carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person

Flu can affect anyone but if you have a long-term health condition, the effects of flu can make it worse even if the condition is well managed and you normally feel well. If you belong to one of the groups mentioned in this guidance, it’s important that you have your flu vaccination. Residents of older adult care homes and those most at risk including those who are immunosuppressed will receive their covid vaccine first. 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. Those at increased risk from the effects of fluThere will be no change to flu vaccinations for children which will be offered in schools from early next month, to prevent children from getting seriously ill from flu and ending up hospital, and to break the chain of transmission of the virus to the wider population. For pregnant women, the vaccine may also be available through maternity services. The flu vaccine is free. The flu vaccine can be given at the same time as all routine vaccines. The vaccination can go ahead if you or your child has a minor illness such as a cold but may be delayed for illnesses that include a fever. People who shouldn’t have the vaccination Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS England Medical Director, said: “Vaccinations are our best defence against flu and COVID-19 ahead of what could be a very challenging winter, and with the potential for this new covid variant to increase the risk of infection, we are following the latest expert guidance and bringing the covid vaccination programme forward, with people able to get their flu vaccine at the same time to maximise protection.

Speak to your GP or practice nurse, or alternatively your local pharmacist, to book a vaccination appointment. The effectiveness of flu vaccination will vary from year to year, depending on the match between the strain of flu in circulation and that contained in the vaccines. Because the flu virus can change from year to year there is a risk that the vaccine does not match the circulating virus. All pregnant women should have a flu vaccine to protect themselves and their babies. Flu vaccine can be given safely at any stage of pregnancy, from conception onwards.Carers, pregnant women, and health and social care staff will all be among the groups to be offered a covid jab this winter, as well as adults aged 65 and over. Flu is unpredictable. Flu vaccination provides the best protection. There are different strains of flu virus. The strains that are most likely to cause illness are identified in advance of the flu season. Vaccines are then made to match them as closely as possible. Even if the vaccine doesn’t perfectly match a strain it usually provides some protection against it. Pregnancy alters how the body handles infections such as flu. Flu infection increases the chances of pregnant women and their babies needing intensive care. are currently wheezy or have been wheezy in the past 72 hours, including those needing extra puffs of asthma reliever inhalers; they should be offered a suitable injected flu vaccine to avoid a delay in protection

So please come forward to get your protection against both covid and flu as soon as possible once invited – it will help protect you and those around you this winter.” For advice and information about flu vaccination, speak to your GP, practice nurse, pharmacist or school immunisation team.This list of conditions isn’t definitive. It’s always an issue of clinical judgement. Your GP can assess you to take into account the risk of flu making any underlying illness you may have worse, as well as your risk of serious illness from flu itself. Those who should consider having a flu vaccination If you are a frontline health or social care worker, find out what arrangements have been made at your workplace for providing flu vaccination. It’s important that you get protected. Some social care workers who cannot get the vaccine through an occupational health scheme can get the vaccine through the NHS from their GP or a pharmacy.

help protect their baby who will continue to have some immunity to flu during the first few months of its life have a condition, or are on treatment, that severely weakens their immune system or have someone in their household who needs isolation because they are severely immunosuppressed (such as bone marrow transplant) There are several types of flu vaccine. You will be offered one that is most appropriate for you. Most children are offered the vaccine as a nasal spray and adults are offered an injectable vaccine. None of the vaccines can give you flu. 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. In the worst cases, flu can result in a stay in hospital, or even death. Following the JCVI’s recommendation that adults over the age of 65 and those with underlying health conditions would be eligible for a flu and COVID-19 vaccination this year, the offer was due to start from early October to maximise protection for patients right across the winter months.

If you have flu symptoms you should talk to your doctor urgently, because if you do have flu there is a prescribed medicine that might help (or reduce the risk of complications), but it needs to be taken as soon as possible after the symptoms appear. The nasal vaccine is easy to give and painless. Each child who has the nasal spray vaccine gets the best protection against flu. It is also considered to be the best at reducing the spread of flu. That way children protect one another and others who might be vulnerable to flu. For those who may not accept the use of porcine gelatine in medical products, injected flu vaccine is available as an alternative. You should discuss your options with your nurse, doctor, or school aged immunisation team. Side effects But the best way to avoid catching and spreading flu is by having the vaccination before the flu season starts. How we protect against flu You should have the free flu vaccine if you are pregnant, seriously overweight ( BMI of 40 and above) or have a long-term condition, such as: