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a chest complaint or serious breathing difficulties, including bronchitis, emphysema or some people with asthma have a condition, or are on treatment, that severely weakens their immune system or have someone in their household who needs isolation because they are severely immunosuppressed (such as bone marrow transplant) All pregnant women should have a flu vaccine to protect themselves and their babies. Flu vaccine can be given safely at any stage of pregnancy, from conception onwards.

This list of conditions isn’t definitive. It’s always an issue of clinical judgement. Your GP can assess you to take into account the risk of flu making any underlying illness you may have worse, as well as your risk of serious illness from flu itself. Those who should consider having a flu vaccination If you are a frontline health or social care worker, find out what arrangements have been made at your workplace for providing flu vaccination. It’s important that you get protected. Some social care workers who cannot get the vaccine through an occupational health scheme can get the vaccine through the NHS from their GP or a pharmacy. Pregnancy alters how the body handles infections such as flu. Flu infection increases the chances of pregnant women and their babies needing intensive care. persons aged 6 months to 64 years in a clinical risk group, as laid out in the Immunisation Green Book, COVID-19 chapter (Green Book) This guide explains how you can help protect yourself and your children against flu this coming winter, and why it’s very important that people who are at increased risk from flu have their free vaccination every year. Introduction

You should have the free flu vaccine if you are pregnant, seriously overweight ( BMI of 40 and above) or have a long-term condition, such as: There are several types of flu vaccine. You will be offered one that is most appropriate for you. Most children are offered the vaccine as a nasal spray and adults are offered an injectable vaccine. None of the vaccines can give you flu. In line with advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, those eligible for a flu vaccine this year include: In total, more than 149 million covid-19 vaccinations have now been given by healthcare staff and volunteers since the NHS delivered the world’s first COVID-19 jab outside of clinical trials to Maggie Keenan, in December 2020. those aged 6 months to under 65 years in clinical risk groups (as defined by the Green Book, chapter 19 (Influenza))If you belong to one of the groups mentioned in this guidance, it’s important that you have your flu vaccination. Also, protection from flu vaccination goes down with time so even if some of the strains are the same you should have a flu vaccine again each flu season. Thanks to the success of our vaccine programme, we have built strong, broad immune defences against new variants throughout the population. However, some people remain more vulnerable to severe illness from COVID-19. This precautionary measure to bring forward the autumn programme will ensure these people have protection against any potential wave this winter. The most common symptoms of flu are fever, chills, headache, aches and pains in the joints and muscles, and extreme tiredness. Healthy individuals usually recover within 2 to 7 days, but for some the disease can lead to hospitalisation, permanent disability or even death.

For advice and information about flu vaccination, speak to your GP, practice nurse, pharmacist or school immunisation team. Even if the vaccine is not a perfect match it will usually offer some protection. Major mismatches do not happen very often. What you need to do But the best way to avoid catching and spreading flu is by having the vaccination before the flu season starts. How we protect against flu Flu vaccines help protect against the main types of flu virus circulating. Summary of those recommended to have a flu vaccine reduce their risk of serious complications such as pneumonia, particularly in the later stages of pregnancyThere will be no change to flu vaccinations for children which will be offered in schools from early next month, to prevent children from getting seriously ill from flu and ending up hospital, and to break the chain of transmission of the virus to the wider population. are currently wheezy or have been wheezy in the past 72 hours, including those needing extra puffs of asthma reliever inhalers; they should be offered a suitable injected flu vaccine to avoid a delay in protection There is limited information available at present on BA.2.86 so the potential impact of this particular variant is difficult to estimate. As with all emergent and circulating COVID-19 variants – both in the UK and internationally – we will continue to monitor BA.2.86 and to advise government and the public as we learn more. In the meantime, please come forward for the vaccine when you are called.”