It’s flu jab time
According to this article, referencing Public Health England, ‘an enhanced flu jab for elderly people will save hundreds of lives this winter.’ The enhanced vaccine has extra ingredients that are supposed to ‘help aged immune systems develop a stronger defense agains flu.’
The NHS suggests that the best time to get your flu jab is from the beginning of October to the end of November. Having said this, there is no cut off point so you can have the vaccine later if necessary.
It is offered routinely for those people identified as being ‘at risk’ such as the elderly, young school children, adults with long-term health conditions, pregnant women and – importantly to us – health and social care workers and carers.
You can get the vaccine at your GP surgery or at local pharmacies that offer the service such as Boots.
The vaccine doesn’t guarantee you won’t get the flu, but it makes the likelihood of catching it very low and the effects would be much more mild and short-lived than it would have been otherwise. It may be worth mentioning that the vaccine protects against the flu – otherwise know as influenza – but doesn’t protect agains the common cold which can have similar, albeit milder, symptoms.
For more information, you can download a leaflet provided by Public Health England which explains the importance of this year’s flu vaccination.