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Free flu jab offered to record numbers this year

DCUK NewsBot

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People with diabetes across England are being urged to take advantage of the free NHS flu jab this year, which is being offered to everyone with long-term health conditions. Flu is a highly infectious disease that can lead to extended periods of illness and can sometimes be fatal. People with long-term health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and liver disease are at greater risk of health difficulties associated with having the flu. Being ill can make it harder for people with diabetes to control their blood glucose levels and can increase risks of dehydration or other acute health complications. According to Public Health England, the number of people who are eligible for the flu vaccine has topped 25 million this year. For the first time, the vaccine is being offered to all primary school children, as well as toddlers, pregnant women, people who have underlying health conditions and people aged 65 and above. Professor Jonathan Van Tam, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, said: "Flu is a potentially fatal illness and one that can spread quickly. Alongside frontline healthcare workers, tens of millions of over-65s, children and adults in at-risk groups will be offered the vaccine this year and I would urge them, and those that care for them, to ensure this free opportunity is taken up in the coming weeks. "Having the vaccine is the single best way to protect against flu and will be an important step in preventing not only you, but your family, friends and colleagues from this debilitating illness." This year health experts have warned there is an even stronger strain of flu around, which resulted in a large increase in cases of flu in Australia in recent months. Speaking to the HSJ publication earlier this year, Deputy Chief Executive at NHS Providers Saffron Cordery said: "The spike in flu we are seeing in Australia could be a worrying signal of what is to come for health and care services this winter. "Planning for vaccinations is based on what happens in the southern hemisphere. Based on what we are seeing we will need to make sure plans are put in place early and as resilient as they can be." The Department of Health has taken the warning seriously in its extension of the free flu vaccine to be available to significantly more people than usual. People who fall into the at-risk category can receive the free vaccine at their GP surgery. Those who are not eligible can pay for it privately at a chemist. Many chemists are providing the vaccine for under £15.

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I've never had the flu but am going for the jab when it becomes available to me in November. I would hate the thought of taking up bed space in hospital or passing it on to someone frailer than me.
 
This is a great initiative - it makes me really happy to hear that vaccines are available for free, to people with long term health conditions, in England.

This is so very important and imperative!
 
Had mine done at Boots, saved standing in the huge long queue at my GP’s, filled in a form to claim it free.
Oh and by the way that needle and syringe in the pictures is not a flu jab, it’s way too big to be a flu jab!
 
I have missed some appointments because of work commitments and I relayed this to the text message I received.
This is their reply.
My name, unfortunately we have not had our delivery of flu vaccines for you as you are UNDER 65. Our next walk in clinic will be 02.11.19.
I will try to get to that one.
 
Rachox said:
Had mine done at Boots, saved standing in the huge long queue at my GP’s, filled in a form to claim it free.
Oh and by the way that needle and syringe in the pictures is not a flu jab, it’s way too big to be a flu jab!
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Rachox, as part of my involvement with our PPG, I was in attendance at the over-65s, plus those with specific medical conditions, flu clinic. Around 1000 doses were delivered. It was incredibly slick, although one person (allegedly a nurse!) complained her appointment was 08:34, but she was only seen at 08:36 - eh?).

Anyway, anyway, during on of the Doc's breaks (they just had 5 minutes every couple of hours for a coffee and comfort) he mentioned that whilst flu jabs are advertised as "free" in various pharmacies, the individual's surgery is then charged a fee. I didn't ask exactly how much that was, but his inference was it was a meaningful amount, versus the various clinics, or even a nurse appointment.

Personally, I choose not to have the vaccination, but that is my choice and my risk.
 
Rachox said:
Oh and by the way that needle and syringe in the pictures is not a flu jab, it’s way too big to be a flu jab!
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Agreed, the needle they use now is so fine they don't even say "small scratch coming" as you can't really feel anything.
 
I havent received my reminder but I'll be back to practice with a scan result so I'll hopefully get jabbed then. B12 jab due about then too. Hoping done altogether. My plans are often scuppered but my thoughts are always to get things done together for less trips.
 
I got impression my practice bought in bulk?
 
bulkbiker said:
Not if they have had their jab like good little sheeple...
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There must be something worth while in it. Practice's hv less patients with flu complications. Flu can kill those with asthma or similiar.
 
ickihun said:
There must be something worth while in it. Practice's hv less patients with flu complications. Flu can kill those with asthma or similiar.
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Yes, flu can be a killer. I never got the flu even though I went years and years with diabetes without the jab. But, when I became a carer for my elderly dad, I decided to get the flu jab too. It's my choice, so I will get it, especially as I was very ill last year, so prevention is better than cure. There are so many different strains around the world and we have epidemics in the past. My young granddaughter had a strain of swine flu and it was a very worrying time as she was so young,
Edited to add - granddaughter was a baby then
 
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Ah ok I wasn’t aware of that. However I went to see the nurse at my surgery a week later and the notification from Boots hadn’t come through at that point, so she waved a flu jab syringe at me hoping to tick me off the list. When I said I’d already had it at Boots she didn’t object that I had done that.
 
porl69 said:
Do you not get the flu jab then?
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Nope... I do my best to stay away from the general population as far as possible.

I had the experience of seeing my mother get ill for a minimum of a month every single year that she had the jab.

So far as I am aware its effectiveness is limited so why bother?
 
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