Local people urged to have seasonal flu vaccination
14.10.2009
Local GPs and NHS Gloucestershire are urging local people who are most at risk of developing serious complications from seasonal flu to take advantage of the free jab as winter approaches.
Seasonal flu is responsible for the deaths of about 8,000 people in the UK a year and tends to affect the more vulnerable or elderly people. Having the vaccination can therefore provide some protection.
Dr Helen Miller, GP in Gloucester and Chair of the Professional Executive Committee said:
“The occasional bout of flu is not a serious matter for most healthy people, but if you are vulnerable, flu can lead to complications such as pneumonia or bronchitis.“
“Having an annual flu jab is extremely important if you fall into any of the high risk groups. Not only will it help protect you from flu viruses, it could keep you out of hospital and may save your life.”
Seasonal flu should not be confused with swine flu (H1N1). A vaccine for swine flu will be available in the coming weeks and will be targeted at people at risk from developing complications for the H1N1 strain. Seasonal flu is a different strain and therefore does not provide protection against swine flu.
Dr Shona Arora, Director of Public Health for NHS Gloucestershire, said:
“The seasonal flu vaccine is an important way of helping people in high risk groups stay healthy during the winter and reduce their risk of needing to seek hospital treatment.
“People who are eligible to receive the seasonal flu jab will be contacted directly by their GP surgery and should be able to make an appointment. If you haven’t been contacted and you think that you or a person you look after should have the vaccination, I would encourage you to contact your local surgery to seek their advice and arrange an appointment if appropriate.”
The Department of Health guidelines strongly recommend the influenza vaccine for the following groups:
- all over 65s
- and anyone with:
- a chronic heart or chest complaint, including asthma
- serious kidney disease
- serious liver disease
- diabetes
- lowered immunity due to illness or treatment such as steroid medication
or cancer treatment - any other serious medical condition – check with your doctor if you are unsure.
