Residents are being urged to take advantage of free flu vaccinations to protect against the potentially dangerous virus this winter. The vaccination is available for free in Hammersmith & Fulham to young children, residents aged over 65, pregnant women, carers and those with long-term illness. For children it comes as a painless nasal spray.
“For parents of young children and residents at risk of suffering from flu complications, a vaccination this winter should be a real priority. It is free and could potentially save a life,” said Cllr Vivienne Lukey, H&F Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care.
It is estimated that up to 25,000 H&F residents could contract the virus this winter. Most residents are familiar with the normal unpleasant symptoms of flu, such as fever, cough, headaches and joint pains.
But, for some at-risk residents, flu can lead to severe complications that may even be fatal. Despite this, uptake of the vaccine in H&F has been below average in previous years.
For adults and children aged two to four years, the vaccination is available at GP surgeries, while children in school years 1 and 2 will be offered the vaccination at school. Many community pharmacies are also offering the vaccine to adults this year.
The flu virus is constantly changing and so the vaccinations change each year to target the most common strains. For this reason, residents should get a new vaccination each year; from now until November is the ideal time. Some vaccines may still be available from your GP later in the flu season.