GPs are being told to amend next season’s flu jabs

Expect a more effective flu jab this autumn. NHS England has told GPs to ensure they order the quadrivalent vaccine for people aged 18 to 65 who are at risk, and the newly licensed adjuvanted trivalent vaccine, Fluad, for patients aged over 65.

GPs and community pharmacies are being asked to review orders already made for the 2018-19 season and amend them if necessary. Suppliers have extended the deadline for orders until the end of March, and NHS England has confirmed that additional funding will be made available to support the use of the vaccines.

The quadrivalent vaccine protects against two strains of influenza B rather than one. This flu season has seen high levels of influenza B circulating, leaving many patients unprotected because they were given the trivalent vaccine.

An independent cost effectiveness study undertaken by Public Health England found that the use of quadrivalent would probably lead to fewer GP consultations and hospital admissions. Fluad, which provides better protection in elderly people, has been available in Europe for years but was approved in the UK only in August 2017.

Children, considered “super spreaders” and are generally more susceptible to influenza B, will continue to receive the nasal spray quadrivalent vaccine as treatment.