COPPULL MEDICAL PRACTICE Newsletter

AUTUMN / WINTER2017

Free NHS Health Checks

HEALTH TOPIC

INFLUENZA VACCINATION

The effects of flu

Flusymptomscan hit quite suddenly and severely. They usually include fever, chills, headaches and aching muscles.You can often get a cough and sore throat. Because flu is caused by a virus and not bacteria, antibiotics won't treat it.

Anyone can get flu, but it can be more serious for certain people, such as:

  • peopleaged 65 or over
  • people who havea chronic or serious medical condition
  • pregnant women

If you are in one of these groups, you're more vulnerable to the effects of flu (even if you're fit and healthy) and could develop flu complications, which are more serious illnesses such as bronchitis and pneumonia, which couldresult in hospitalisation. Flu can also make existing medicalconditions worse.

How the vaccine works

The injected fluvaccine contains inactivated strains of the flu virus and therefore cannot cause flu. The flu virus in the vaccine isoften grown on fertilised hens’ eggs althoughegg-free flu vaccine may beavailable for people with egg allergy.

Thenasal drops flu vaccine for children contains live, but weakened forms of flu viruswhich do not cause flu in those vaccinated.Again, theflu virus in the vaccine isgrown on fertilised hens' eggs so children with a known egg allergy should be given an alternative vaccine

How effective is the flu vaccine?

No vaccine is 100% effective, however, people who have had the flu vaccineare less likely toget flu. If you do get flu despite having the vaccine,it will probablybe milder than if you haven’t been vaccinated.The flu vaccine only protects against flu, but not other illnesses caused byother viruses, such as the common cold.

Flu vaccine side effects

The flu vaccine doesn’t cause flu as it doesn’t containlive viruses. However, you may experience side effects after having the vaccine, such as a temperature and aching muscles for a couple of days afterwards. Your arm may feel sore at the site where you were injected. More severe reactions arerare.

Are you entitled to a flu vaccine?

You are entitled to an NHS flu vaccination if you are in one of these at risk categories.

  • Aged 65 or over (or turn 65 before 31/3/18)
  • Have a BMI over 40 (obesity)
  • Heart disease
  • Stroke
  • Diabetes
  • Asthma (Only if taking regular inhaled steroids) or other chronic lung disease
  • Liver or kidney disease
  • Chronic neurological disease
  • Weakened immune system (if you live in the same house as someone with a weakened immune system you should also attend for a vaccine)
  • Pregnant (all stages)
  • All children aged 2 - 8 years on 1st September 2017
  • Living in a long stay residential home
  • People who are in receipt of carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an older or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill (not employed carers)