Pregnant Women To get Flu Jabs

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Seasonal health campaign gets underway

This year's seasonal flu vaccination campaign is encouraging people across the borough to have their free jabs if they are at risk from flu.

For the first time, NHS Ealing will offer all pregnant women the vaccination, because it protects against the H1N1 virus (swine flu) that will still be circulating this winter. Pregnant women who catch this strain are particularly at risk of severe infection and hospital admission.

Everyone aged 65 and over is routinely offered the jab, as are younger people with long-term conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma, multiple sclerosis, serious kidney and liver disease. Around 15 million people in the UK have the jab, which must be administered every 12 months, as it is altered to match the flu strains in circulation each particular year.

Dr Jackie Chin, Director of Public Health at NHS Ealing, said: "We encourage all residents at risk of contracting flu to take advantage of the free jab and protect themselves this winter. If you are under 65, with a long-term condition such as diabetes or heart conditions, even if you feel well, you are at increased risk of seasonal flu and the jab is your best protection.

"It is also important for pregnant women to be immunised. Last year's swine flu is still about and while it is a mild illness for most it can be particularly severe when pregnant women catch it."

Every year there are approximately 8,000 seasonal flu-related deaths in the winter months in England and Wales - these deaths are avoidable.

The best way to avoid flu is to be immunised, but people can also protect themselves by practising good hand hygiene with the 'catch it, bin it, kill it' technique. 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.

Ask your GP, practice nurse or pharmacist about getting your free flu jab. Details of select pharmacies in Ealing offering the flu jab are available on www.ealingpct.nhs.uk

November 8th 2010