The arrival of autumn does not just mean shorter daylight hours and falling leaves; it means we are entering the time of year when many seasonal viruses start to circulate.
With much coverage being given to the new XEC variant of Covid, there will be many asking if they are eligible, but long before that virus emerged with such devastating effects from China, flu was making people very ill all over the world and killing the vulnerable.
The virulence of flu strains varies from year to year, with the worst examples being the (inaccurately named) Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-19, but in any year there will be people who lose their lives or are hospitalised, especially the old and those with weakened immunity.
For that reason, now is the time to find a flu vaccine pharmacy to get your jab in this year if you are eligible.
The eligibility criteria for getting flu jabs via the NHS this year is as normal; You can get it if you are 65 or older, live in a care home, have particular health conditions, are living with or caring for someone who is elderly or disabled, or receive a carer’s allowance, live with someone who has a weakened immune system or are pregnant.
In many cases, you might never have had a flu jab before. That may be because you have only just turned 65, or because you are now pregnant for the first time. Alternatively, you may not have felt the need before, having successfully fought off previous flu infections many times in the past.
However, the fact that you will become more vulnerable as you get older, your health declines in another way or you fall pregnant (with associated risks to the baby) all mean that the risk to you is greater and the consequences of catching flu can be much worse than in the past.
Unless you are pregnant or have a compromised immune system due to having cancer treatment, the earliest date you can get your flu jab is October 3rd. The timing is designed to ensure the vaccine takes effect at the right time, but also lasts long enough, in order to maximise its effect.
Flu is a virus that changes quite frequently, to a much greater extent than Covid-19 and vastly more than some viruses. This happens because it is an active zoonotic virus that spreads between humans, birds and pigs, although concerns in recent years that a very severe bird flu pandemic might impact human populations have not come to pass.
Nonetheless, this does mean the flu vaccine must be updated every year. This situation also accounts for the fact that the threat level posed will vary.
This year, the NHS has been urging people to get jabbed against a potential ‘tripledemic’ of infections, with flu, the new XEC Variant of Covid (which over-65s and those with certain health conditions can get), plus the RSV virus (a threat to pregnant women and their babies) all posing dangers.
It doesn’t take long to get yourself vaccinated – and when you have done you’ll be very glad you did.