Care workers urged to have flu jab

Health and social care workers are being urged to take up the offer of a flu jab for their own protection and for the health and safety of the vulnerable people they look after in NHS settings and in residential care homes.

Professor Qutub Syed, Director of the Health Protection Agency (North West) said: “The smooth running of NHS hospital and community services and residential care homes can be seriously disrupted by staff sickness and it is not uncommon to see outbreaks of flu in these settings.

“Health care workers have a duty of care to themselves, their colleagues and the patients and residents they look after. It is important that they should take up the offer of vaccination.”

Dr. Ann Hoskins, Acting Regional Director of Public Health with NHS North West, added: “It’s too early to say how much flu we are likely to see this winter, but there have been reports of higher than average levels in southern hemisphere countries, and what these countries experience in their winter months is often an indicator of what is likely to happen here.

“Anyone who is entitled to a flu jab should have one and it is particularly important for health and social care workers to be vaccinated because they are likely to be exposed to flu in the course of their work and because they care for people who are likely to be at greater risk of complications of flu.”

Most flu victims will recover without treatment other than rest, aided by over-the-counter medications to ease the symptoms, but some people are more prone than others to complications of flu, such as bronchitis and pneumonia. These groups are entitled to free vaccination on the NHS.

They include: 

• People aged 65 or older
• Pregnant women – at any stage of pregnancy
• People who live in residential care homes
• Carers of people who are elderly or infirm
• Health and social care workers
• People of any age with chronic illnesses such as heart disease, kidney disease, chronic asthma and diabetes that requires medication
• People with lowered immunity to infection as a result of illness or treatment, such as people with HIV infection or those on steroid treatment or cancer drugs