Do you have diabetes – have you had your flu jab?

NHS England have asked us to check whether people with diabetes have had their flu vaccines.

We will be asking people with prescriptions for diabetes medicines who come into our pharmacies this week if they have already had a flu vaccine. If you have not had a flu vaccine, we will offer you the option of booking a flu vaccine at the pharmacy.

Diabetes UK have urged everyone with diabetes to have a flu vaccine

This year Diabetes UK have urged everyone with diabetes to have a flu vaccine. They give the following information on their website.

“Anyone with diabetes, including those who are pregnant, should get a jab against flu. This is because people with diabetes are more at risk of getting the flu and having diabetes will make it worse.

“Flu is serious, and can make your blood sugar go all over the place. If your blood sugar isn’t within target, the effects of flu can be dragged out and increase your risk of developing serious complications. Getting a flu jab will help you avoid this.

“A vaccine protects you against the most common types of flu currently around. As this changes each year, it means you need a new jab each year too.

“The jab itself won’t give you the flu. But after you have the jab, it can take about two weeks to work so you may still get the flu. That’s why it’s good to get the jab as soon as you can.

It is your choice to have a flu vaccine

There are lots of reasons why you might not have had a flu vaccine, for example, you may not know that you are entitled to a free of charge NHS flu vaccine from your GP or pharmacist. You may not have realised that you needed a flu vaccine. You might have struggled to access flu vaccines, perhaps the clinic times at your GP surgery were not convenient for you. Some people are afraid of needles. We will ask you why you have not yet had your flu vaccine to see if we can help. If you don’t want to tell us why this is, it’s fine. If you still don’t want to have a flu vaccine this is fine to. If you change your mind you can come back to us at a later date.

If you would like any more information or advice about diabetes or flu vaccines please call into one of our pharmacies for advice.