Flu

Please remember, you’re not just protecting yourself by having the vaccination, you are protecting your loved ones too.  Those most at risk from flu are also most vulnerable to COVID19

For details about our flu clinics, click here

What is flu?

Flu occurs every year, usually in the winter, which is why it is sometimes called seasonal flu. It is a very infectious disease that can come on very quickly. The most common symptoms of flu are fever, chills, cough, headache, pains in your joints and muscles and extreme tiredness. Healthy people usually recover within 3 to 4 weeks, but some people can develop serious life-threatening complications and need to be admitted to hospital.

Colds are much less serious and usually start with a stuffy or a runny nose, sore throat and cough.

How do we prevent the spread of flu?

Flu is unpredictable and there can be different strains of the virus. However, over the last ten years, the flu vaccine has generally been very good at targeting the circulating strains.

The flu vaccine is available every year on the NHS to help protect adults and children who are most at risk of flu and its complications.

The flu vaccine

The flu vaccine is the best available protection against the flu virus. It’s very safe, only takes a few minutes and will last around a year.

Flu’s more than a bad cold and can make people very unwell. It’s highly infectious with symptoms that come on quickly and can hit anyone. In the most serious cases, flu can bring on pneumonia, or other serious infections which can, in extreme cases, result in death.

The vaccine’s offered each winter flu season, which lasts from October to March.

Who should get the flu vaccine?

Any strain of flu can be dangerous for people who are vulnerable to it. That’s why the following people are urged to get the free flu vaccine as soon as it’s available every winter to help protect against flu:

• all children aged 2-15 (but not 16 years or older) on 31st August 2021
• those aged 6 months to under 50 years in clinical risk groups
• pregnant women
• those aged 50 years and over
• those in long-stay residential care homes
• carers
• close contacts of immunocompromised individuals

For further information regarding adult flu, including eligible groups, please click here

For information on the child flu vaccine, please visit the child flu page

What if I’m not in one of the eligible groups?

If you’re 16 years old, or over, and not in one of the eligible groups for the free flu immunisation, you can get the vaccine in many high street pharmacies for a small fee.

Do I have the flu?

Flu symptoms come on very quickly and can include symptoms such as:

• fever (temperature above 38°C)
• aches
• tiredness or exhaustion
• headache

More about the symptoms of flu

Flu Clinic

Every autumn, around September, we start our flu clinics. We aim to vaccinate as many of those at risk, as indicated above.

You can book online if you are registered for online services with Patient Access or the NHS App, or call reception to make an appointment.

For details of our flu clinics this year please click here.