Seasonal Flu! Get the jab that could save your life

Nottingham University Hospitals is urging people at risk of flu to get protected and have the vaccine.

More people died from influenza and pneumonia than those who died with breast cancer or prostate cancer in 2009. Last year's winter flu outbreak resulted in more than 600 deaths in the UK and thousands more people died with flu as a contributory factor.

Four groups have been identified as being most at risk:

• Pregnant women
• People with long term conditions which can be anything from diabetes to asthma, heart disease and multiple sclerosis
• Carers
• People over 65 years

Flu is different to getting a cold and the effects of seasonal flu are often underestimated. Some people are more at risk from flu and need the vaccine because they are not able to fight off flu as easily as others. It can often result in more serious complications which require hospital treatment – and the figures from last winter show that sometimes there can be devastating consequences.

Flu is a highly infectious illness caused by a virus. It changes every year as does the vaccine to fight it, so it is important that those at risk protect themselves every year. Getting the free jab helps protect them and their loved ones.

There are lots of myths around the flu jab. Please take the time to read our Flu Fighter mythbuster – click here.

If you live in Nottingham or Nottinghamshire and are in one of the groups of people listed above, please visit the following websites:

• NHS Nottingham City – www.nottinghamcity.nhs.uk
• NHS Nottinghamshire County – www.nottspct.nhs.uk

There are additional ways people can protect themselves and those around them. Good hand hygiene - the 'catch it, bin it, kill it' technique reduces the spread of germs. This means carrying tissues, covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue, disposing of the tissue after one use, and cleaning hands as soon as possible with soap and water or an alcohol hand gel.

You may also want to visit the NHS Choices website for a comprehensive overview about Flu, its symptoms and how to treat it: http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/winterhealth/pages/fluandthefluvaccine.aspx