This wintertime, both equally COVID-19 and flu might circulate at significant concentrations, perhaps at the exact same time.
Ahead of what could be a difficult time, hundreds of thousands of people today are currently being supplied vaccination to assist safeguard them around the coming months.
There is evidence to show that if you get flu and COVID-19 at the identical time you are at increased threat of turning out to be very seriously unwell. As this is the initially winter season since COVID-19 emerged without the need of limits in area, the most effective way to secure your self from getting unwell from possibly is to get vaccinated.
We are urging all eligible men and women to get vaccinated as before long as doable to improve their safety versus these viruses, which also allows to guard other individuals and the NHS.
Why do we get vaccinated every year for flu?
Every single 12 months, the flu period is distinctive. Unique strains of flu circulate and the quantities of men and women who get flu differ. This usually means we have to have a little bit unique vaccines each individual calendar year.
To structure the vaccine for every single new year, researchers look at the achievement of the prior year’s vaccine, details from past flu seasons and surveillance from around the environment displaying which strains are creating people today sick.
All this info is applied to determine which strains go into the subsequent vaccine, giving the ideal probability of a significant level of safety.
Flu is disagreeable for most folks but it can have severe implications for some, notably people with selected wellness ailments. It can result in major disease and in some instances be everyday living threatening.
There was document uptake of the flu jab in men and women aged 65 and above in 2021/22 (82%), while there was reduce uptake among the individuals in clinical threat groups and pregnant girls and these groups are specifically inspired to arrive ahead this calendar year.
Why is it significantly important to get vaccinated for flu this wintertime?
Far more individuals are envisioned to get unwell with flu this year as less organic immunity has been designed up about the very last pair of winters when flu was stopped from circulating broadly thanks to COVID-19 actions.
Also in the southern hemisphere international locations this sort of as Australia experienced flu circulating before than regular in their wintertime season.
Youthful small children in certain are unlikely to have designed up any all-natural immunity to flu, which is why it’s vital that they take the vaccine this 12 months. It’s becoming presented to youngsters in the form of a brief and pain-free nasal spray.
In addition to the predicted flu wave, we have early indicator that COVID-19 charges are beginning to rise in advance of winter season, raising the risk to people’s wellness in a so-named ‘twindemic’ scenario.
Who is suitable for the flu vaccine?
The annual flu vaccine is currently being made available to:
- People today with long-time period health problems
- Individuals aged 50 and in excess of (commencing from mid-October)*
- Pregnant girls
- Individuals in extensive-remain residential households
- Unpaid carers (obtain a carer’s allowance or are the primary carer for an older or disabled particular person who might be at risk if the carer will get unwell)
- Near contacts of immunosuppressed people today
- Frontline well being and social treatment staff who simply cannot get the vaccine via an occupational wellness scheme at work
- All kids aged 2 or 3 several years on 31 August 2022
- All principal university aged youngsters and some secondary college aged young children
*If you are in this age group and have a long-phrase wellness problem that puts you at chance from flu, you do not have to hold out until eventually mid-October.
There are a number of types of flu vaccine. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) assessments the latest evidence on influenza vaccines each individual 12 months and suggests the variety of vaccine to be made available to individuals.
Suggested vaccines range in accordance to age. You will be supplied one particular that is most powerful for you. Small children aged 2 to 17 yrs aged are offered a brief and painless nasal spray vaccine.
Why do some people need a booster against COVID-19?
COVID-19 vaccination has been supplied incrementally adhering to evidence that whilst the vaccines are really effective, immunity wanes more than time.
Booster doses drastically increase immunity and in those who are most vulnerable to the worst effects of COVID-19, getting a booster will decrease the figures of individuals who have to have hospitalisation or die.
We are all informed that COVID-19 can cause severe sickness and that it is far more risky in specified groups, these types of as the elderly and all those with suppressed immune programs.
Given that cases generally rise across the winter season months, it’s genuinely important that all these qualified get boosted to up their immunity concentrations.
Who is eligible for the COVID-19 booster?
The booster is becoming presented to:
- People today aged 5 and above with very long-phrase health and fitness circumstances
- People aged 50 and over
- Pregnant females
- Those in lengthy-keep residential care residences
- Unpaid carers
- Close contacts of immunosuppressed people
- Frontline overall health and social treatment professionals
If you are in 1 of these groups, you really should be supplied an appointment concerning September and December.
People at maximum risk will be identified as initially. It should really be at minimum 3 months just after your previous dose of COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccines on supply give a really significant amount of defense against the virus and tremendously lessen the odds of an individual becoming severely unwell and requiring hospitalisation.
Most people will obtain the subsequent technology blend edition of the booster vaccine, which incorporates a fifty percent dose of the previous vaccine put together with a 50 % dose towards the Omicron variant.
For a pretty modest quantity of people today yet another vaccine product or service may well be advised by their doctor.
How do I get vaccinated?
Some people today who are qualified for the two will be supplied their flu and COVID-19 vaccines in 1 appointment, but most people today will get them separately.
Individuals qualified for the flu vaccine can book an appointment with their GP or at a pharmacy which offers the vaccine on the NHS. You could obtain an invitation to get the vaccine but you do not have to have to hold out for this to ebook your appointment. If you are pregnant you will be capable to get the vaccine from some maternity companies or your GP.
Children suitable for the flu vaccine will acquire the nasal spray. Individuals qualified who have not but begun primary faculty will get the vaccine at their GP practice. For these young children in major school, they will acquire the vaccine at university the moment moms and dads have signed and returned a consent variety.
The national reserving assistance for COVID-19 vaccination is now open up for autumn boosters. Individuals aged more than 65, people who are immunosuppressed, persons who are pregnant and front-line health and fitness and social treatment staff are now able to ebook an appointment.
Everyone who is suitable for the free flu vaccine will be in a position to get it.
GP surgical procedures and pharmacies get the flu vaccine in batches all over the flu season. If you cannot get an appointment straight away, question if you can e-book a single for when far more vaccines are out there.
Take a look at nhs.uk/wintervaccinations for additional info on who is qualified and how to e book.