Keeping warm in winter helps protect against the flu; if you struggle to pay your gas and electricity

bills or need help to warm you home call the North Somerset Home Energy team on 0800 082 2234

Flu vaccinations and Winter WarmthCampaign

Monday 28th October – Friday 8th November 2013

Guidance for pharmacy staff

AIM OF THE CAMPAIGN

To raise awareness of the importance of vaccinating vulnerable groups ahead of the peak flu season and to raise the awareness that keeping your home warm during winter months can reduce your risk of contracting flu.

In particular to increase the uptake of vaccinations amongst individuals under the age of 65 years with significant health problems, whose uptake last year was well below the target of 75%. Information on help available to warm homes will be made available during this period.

WHY ARE WE RUNNING THIS CAMPAIGN

Flu (also known as influenza) is a highly infectious illness caused by the flu virus. It spreads rapidly through small droplets coughed or sneezed into the air by an infected person.

Studies have shown that flu vaccines provide effective protection against the flu, although protection may not be complete and may vary between people. Protection from the vaccine gradually decreases and flu strains change over time. Therefore, new vaccines are made each year and people at risk of flu are encouraged to be vaccinated every year.

The flu vaccination is offered to people in at-risk groups. These people are at greater risk of developing serious complications if they catch flu.

Who should have the flu vaccination?

For most peopleflu is unpleasant, but not serious, from which they will usually recover within a week.

However, certain people are at greater risk of developing serious complications of flu, such as bronchitis and pneumonia. These conditions may require hospital treatment.

The flu vaccine is offered free to people who are at risk to protect them from catching flu and developing serious complications.

At-risk groups recommended to have a flu vaccination :-

  • Aged 65 years old or over
  • Pregnant women
  • Individuals with a serious/long term medical condition
  • Those who are living in a long-stay residential care home or other long-stay care facility (not including prisons, young offender institutions or university halls of residence)
  • The main carers for an elderly or disabled person
  • All 2 – 3 year old children (given as a nasal spray rather than injection called ‘Fluenz’)
  • Frontline health or social care workers

Uptake of flu vaccinations inBNSSSG Area Team during 2012/13

At risk group / North Somerset 2012/13 / South Glos
2012/13 / Bristol 2012/13 / Somerset 2012/13 / Target for 2013/14
people aged over 65 / 77.4% / 79.5% / 75.1% / 73.4% / 75%
people aged 6 months to under 65 years in at risk groups / 53.4% / 59.3% / 50.8% / 51.6% / 75%
Pregnant women / 50.7% / 51.0% / 43.3% / 39.0% / 75%

Source - Immform

As you can see from the table last year the uptake was good in people over 65 years, but poor amongst people aged 6 months to under 65 years in at risk groups and pregnant women.

We hope that the proposed Pharmacy Campaign will provide an opportunity for proactively targeting these at risk groups, to ensure maximum vaccination uptake. Pharmacy staff have an important part to play in this.

For further detailed information on at risk categories please refer to:-

Advertising the campaign

PLEASE NOTE. That for this campaign the resources of postcards and posters to support the campaign will be directly mailed to you when they become available. Further resources will be available upon request.

Once you are in receipt of the resources, please display the posterin a prominent position close to your dispensary collection pointthroughout the campaign. All patients or their representatives collecting prescriptions with a serious/ long term medical condition and aged between 16 and 65 should have a ‘FluSafe’ and ‘Warm & Well’ postcards placed inside their prescription bag.

Customer questionnaires are provided to help identify those for whom a vaccination is recommended. It is suggested that staff encourage a minimum of 5 customers to complete the questionnaires each day of the campaign.

Please direct parents and carers to the relevant postersin store and signpost them to the sources of advice and information available.

Monitoring the campaign

On the evaluation form please record:

  1. Number of Patients Taking Leaflets / Information
  2. Number of Patients Asking for Advice / More Information
  3. Number of Patients Pro-actively Approached to give Advice / Information

For further information, and support with your campaign, please contact:

Matthew Pearce, Commissioning & Service Development Manager, South Gloucestershire Council email: or

Lynne Benton, Screening & Immunisation Co-ordinator, NHS England (BNSSSG), email: tel 01823 361258

Please return the evaluation form to: Lynne Benton, Screening & Immunisation Team, 1st Floor South West House, Blackbrook Park Avenue, TAUNTON, TA1 2PX by Friday 11th November 2013

BNSSSG Pharmacy Campaign 2013 Flu Guidance Sheets North SomersetPage 1/3