Flu jab to save hundreds of lives
PEOPLE in Staffordshire are being encourage to sign up for a new flu jab that is expected to prevent hundreds of deaths and thousands of hospital visits this winter.
The new vaccine comes as it was been revealed that 960 people were admitted to intensive care units across the Midlands and eastern England last winter due to flu. This number has almost quadrupled since the previous year, when 246 people were admitted.
Nationally, the new vaccine could reduce GP consultations due to flu by 30,000, hospitalisations by more than 2,000 and prevent more than 700 deaths in England. Last winter, an 18-year-old girl from Stoke died after becoming ill with flu on Christmas Day.
The newly available “adjuvanted” vaccine is expected to be much more effective than the current one by improving the body’s immune response to the vaccine. Experts think this will be beneficial because typically, older people’s bodies do not respond as well to flu jabs because of their naturally weaker immune systems.
The broader flu vaccination programme will also be improved by offering jabs to eligible people under 65, including those with chronic health conditions, pregnant women, carers and morbidly obese people.
The vaccine will protect against two strains of flu A and two strains of flu B, the most common forms of the virus.
In Staffordshire, residents are being encouraged to take up their free flu jabs if they are eligible to keep themselves and their loved ones safe from the virus.
Alan White, deputy leader at Staffordshire county council, said: “It’s really important that people eligible for a free flu vaccination take this offer up. The vaccine is the best defence against the spread of flu and the start of the flu season is always the best time to get vaccinated.”
Flu is a contagious illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. It can cause mild to severe illness, and for those with weak immune systems, could lead to death.
Dr Ash Banerjee, from Public Health England West Midlands, said: “Our figures show that flu is not to be underestimated – every winter the virus makes hundreds of people seriously ill in the West Midlands. While we can never fully predict how the virus will affect the population each year, the best protection we have against it is the flu vaccine.
“This is why we’re scaling up the programme this year by giving additional protection to all eligible adults and offering it to more children. I encourage anyone who is eligible to take up the offer of their free vaccine; it is there to protect you and the rest of your family from a potentially very serious illness.”
Anyone who wants to check if they are eligible should ask their GP.