As many of you will be aware, this year the NHS has widened the flu vaccine programme to include all individuals aged 50 and over (including those that will be 50 by 31st March 2021).
Research shows individuals that get both flu and Covid-19 together are much more likely to become seriously ill, it is, therefore, important to protect our patients from flu.
If you are 50 or over and have not yet had your flu vaccine or booked an appointment then please contact the surgery as soon as possible to arrange your time slot for the clinic on Saturday 5th December.
Many of you will have received a text and can reply directly to that text to book your slot. Alternatively, you can contact the surgery on 01493 855672.
For many of you, this may be your first flu jab. Flu vaccines are very safe and for the 50-64 year old patient group, the NHS has obtained stocks of a vaccine called Sanofi – Flublok® that has been used safely in the USA for the past 4 years to protect against the most common strains of flu.
The vaccine has been given authorisation by the Department of Health and the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for use in this year’s flu campaign.
For more detailed information on the vaccine, please visit www.gov.uk/flublok-vaccine.
Most individuals will experience no side effects from the vaccine. A small number of patients may experience mild side effects that last for a day or so including muscle aches, a slightly raised temperature or a sore arm at the injection site.
The vaccine cannot give you influenza infection. It is vitally important that we keep our patients safe therefore our flu clinics are run with precision and are completely covid-secure.
For more information on the NHS flu vaccine programme, you can visit the NHS flu page by visiting https://www.nhs.uk/flu-influenza-vaccine.
Dr Gardner
The Park Surgery