Llanelli Assembly Member Keith Davies is showing his support for Public Health Wales’s annual campaign aimed at getting more ‘at-risk’ people vaccinated to prevent them getting ill with flu, a debilitating and potentially deadly illness.
Keith is joining the calls being made by charities and health professionals and is urging people aged 65 or over, carers, pregnant women and those with certain chronic or long-term illnesses to make an appointment with their local GP and get the free flu vaccine.
Keith Davies AM said: “As winter approaches, a major flu immunisation programme is underway throughout Wales to offer free vaccines to individuals most at risk of serious complications from flu, and my message to them is ‘Beat flu before it beats you!’
“Just over half of those at most risk took up their free vaccination last year. It isn’t enough and we really need to significantly increase the numbers of people being vaccinated in order to prevent the spread of this largely preventable illness.”
Commenting, Dr Richard Roberts, Head of the Vaccine Preventable Disease Programme at Public Health Wales, said, “A free flu vaccine is available for those in at-risk groups, which includes those aged 65 or over, people who have long term health conditions which puts them at increased risk of flu, carers, pregnant women as well as all two, three and four year olds and children in year 7.”
Dr Roberts added “For most people influenza (or ‘the flu’) is usually a relatively minor, albeit unpleasant and inconvenient, illness. But every year vulnerable people can and do die from the flu and its many complications.”
The flu virus is spread via droplets which are sprayed into the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Direct contact with contaminated hands or surfaces can also spread infection. It can spread rapidly, especially in closed communities such as hospitals, residential homes and schools.
Amongst the biggest group of ‘at risk’ patients are those of all ages with chronic respiratory disease, such as asthma, and chronic heart conditions including angina and heart failure. Those suffering from diabetes, kidney, liver and lung problems or neurological disorders (such as stroke) are also at risk.
This year, for the first time, a nasal spray flu vaccine is being offered to all children who were four on 31 August, in addition to toddlers aged two and three and all school year 7 pupils. The younger children will have the spray in their GP practice and Year 7 children will get their nasal spray vaccine in school. This is the second phase of the childhood flu vaccination programme which will eventually offer the nasal spray flu vaccine to all children aged 2-16 every year during the autumn term.
Readers can find out more about how to get their free vaccine by visiting www.beatflu.org or www.curwchffliw.org, or finding Beat Flu or CurwchFfliw on twitter and facebook.
Beat Flu – Background
Beat Flu is an annual campaign, run by Public Health Wales, which promotes the free NHS flu vaccination to those in ‘at risk’ groups in Wales and other eligible groups such as carers, and health/social care workers.
Most eligible people should visit their GP surgery to get vaccinated, but some local pharmacies also offer the service. Eligible groups include:
- People aged 65 or over
- People aged 6 months and over with chronic medical conditions including heart or chest problems (including asthma that requires regular steroid inhalers or tablets), kidney or liver disease, diabetes, neurological conditions, stroke (or mini stroke), or spleen problems)
- People with lowered immunity due to either a medical condition or taking medication such as steroids or cancer treatment
- Pregnant women
- People living in a nursing or residential home
- Carers of an older or disabled person, or of someone whose health would be at risk if the carer got flu
- Carers who work on a voluntary basis providing frequent care to one or more vulnerable people whose welfare would be at risk if the individual became ill.
- People working in voluntary organisations providing planned first aid such as St John’s Ambulance
- Community first responders
- Children aged two, three and four years on 31st August 2014,
- and children in school year 7, these school age children will receive their vaccine in school
Health and social care workers with direct patient/client contact are also recommended to have an annual flu vaccination, which should be provided by their employer.
More information on the campaign can be found at www.beatflu.org or www.curwchffliw.org. Beat Flu is also on twitter and facebook:
@beatflu
@curwchffliw
www.facebook.com/beatflu
www.facebook.com/Curwch-ffliw
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