Older people urged to get the new free flu jab

As the winter weather sets in, the risk of flu among people aged over 65 sees a huge increase. Fareham MP Suella Braverman has recently joined England’s Chief Nursing Officer, Professor Jane Cummings, in agreeing that people in this age bracket should think about getting the newly-licenced free ‘aTIV’ vaccine.

“This is the biggest flu vaccination programme we have ever undertaken offering more people than ever the greatest opportunity to help protect themselves”, said Professor Jane Cummings.

The new vaccine is designed to boost the body’s immune responses, which will improve the effectiveness of the vaccine, especially in older people. It is believed that GP consultations could be reduced by 30,000, hospitalisations could fall to only 2,000 and 700 hospital deaths could be avoided in England.

The flu is common among certain age groups and as mobility decreases, so does the body’s ability to fight off infection. People with restricted movement and little help are often the most vulnerable. The use of in-house mobility aids like stairlift solutions and reclining chairs aide with small movements on a day to day basis and vaccines like aTIV can aide with fighting off the flu.

Mrs Braverman told Portsmouth.co.uk:

“GPs and pharmacies in Fareham should now have more than enough stock to ensure that everyone eligible can be vaccinated before the start of the flu season, so if you haven’t had a chance yet or stocks had run low when you tried earlier in the Autumn, now is the time to get protected”.

If someone you know hasn’t yet been vaccinated and is over the age of 65 then now is the perfect time to help them get protected. Wherever you are in the UK, your local GP or pharmacy should be able to help you out with your request.