Flu vaccines for elderly available after ‘staggered’ delivery

ALL flu vaccines for older people should now be available in Wales following a “staggered” delivery over the past two months.

For the first time, four different vaccines are being made available on the Welsh NHS this winter depending on the age of the patient.

A new jab for over-65s contains a substance called adjuvant which helps to boost the immune system.

Public Health Wales (PHW) initially warned that people in this age group may not be able to get their recommended vaccine straight away, as delivery of supplies to GP practices and community pharmacies would be staggered between September and November.

But a spokeswoman for the NHS trust confirmed that all flu vaccines for older people had now been delivered.

“This means that anyone who has been asked to wait and return later for the most appropriate flu vaccine should now get back in touch with their GP or community pharmacy and make sure they get their vaccine soon,” the spokeswoman said.

“Flu does not usually start to circulate before mid-December, so people aged 65 and over should get their vaccine soon for the best possible protection.”

Older people are more at risk of complications if they catch flu than younger people.

Flu can be a serious illness, leading to complications like pneumonia, and every year people in Wales end up in hospital or intensive care units with flu.

Angharad Phillips of Age Cymru urged people to listen to the experts and added: “Flu is still a very real health risk to us all, but especially for those of us who are older.

“This is why the NHS funds flu vaccination for people aged 65 and older every year and why a new vaccine has been developed this year for this age group.

“As we age our immune system becomes less efficient at protecting us and so we should take every precaution we can against a disease that can prove fatal to older people.

“Flu vaccine is the best protection we currently have against flu – it helps protect against catching flu and also against spreading flu to others.

“At Age Cymru we promote uptake of the free NHS flu vaccine every year as part of our own winter health and resilience campaign.

“We ask that people ‘Spread The Warmth’ to older people and not the flu! Get protected and protect others at the same time.”