Protect yourself from flu.

What is flu?

Flu occurs every year, usually in the winter, which is why it is sometimes called seasonal flu. It is a very infectious disease that can come on very quickly. The most common symptoms of flu are fever, chills, cough, headache, pains in your joints and muscles and extreme tiredness. Healthy people usually recover within 3 to 4 weeks, but some people can develop serious life-threatening complications and need to be admitted to hospital.

Colds are much less serious and usually start with a stuffy or a runny nose, sore throat and cough.

How do we prevent the spread of flu?

Flu is unpredictable and there can be different strains of the virus. However, over the last ten years, the flu vaccine has generally been very good at targeting the circulating strains. The flu vaccine is available every year on the NHS to help protect adults and children who are most at risk of flu and its complications.

Can I have a free flu vaccination on the NHS?

Flu can affect anyone but if you have a long-term health condition flu can make it worse, even if the condition is well managed and you normally feel well.

We provide flu vaccines if you are:

• Aged 50 and over
• Pregnant
• Aged 2, 3 (by nasal spray),
• Over six months of age in a clinical risk group
• Living in a long-stay residential care home 
• Carers
• Close contats of immunocompromised individuals,

For more information please see the NHS page about flu vaccine.

Flu Clinics

Every autumn, around September, we start our flu clinics. We aim to vaccinate as many of those at risk, as indicated above, as possile.

We will invite you for a flu vaccination in the autumn by text message, and you can book into one of our clinics online through NHS App or via the reception team.