Please look after yourself - get the flu jab this winter

Date: Saturday, October 22nd 2016
Categories: All Leicestershire Blaby Charnwood Harborough Leicester Hinckley & Bosworth Melton North West Leicestershire Oadby & Wigston

Please take the time to look after yourself and get protected with the flu jab this winter. As a carer for someone else, it can be easy to overlook your own health. Flu can knock even the healthiest people off their feet for a couple of weeks, making it impossible for a carer to look after the person in their care.

This is why the NHS offers you a free flu vaccination as a registered carer. It’s not just about protecting you as a carer from getting flu, but also preventing you from passing the virus onto the vulnerable person you care for.

Flu is a highly infectious disease which is easily spread from one person to another. Getting flu when you already have a long-term condition can lead to serious complications, and it can even be a killer. There are a lot of myths about flu that have circulated over the years. Many people worry that the vaccine can give you the flu. Please be assured that this isn’t possible as there is no live influenza virus in the vaccine. Unlike other medication for long term conditions, the flu jab is an annual one-off vaccine. The flu vaccine changes every year to fight the latest strains of flu, so even if you had a jab last winter you need another one this year to stay flu safe.

Find out more and watch a short video on why you should get the flu jab this winter

Find out more about staying well this winter