Why have a flu vaccine

Here at Evans Pharmacy we are passionate about flu vaccines. We think that everyone should have one. That is why we give flu vaccines to our own staff. This post tells you a bit more about why.

What is flu?

Flu is a viral respiratory infection. It spreads easily from person to person; at home, at school, at work, at the supermarket, on the train. It gets passed on when someone who already has flu coughs or sneezes through the air by droplets, or it can be spread by hands infected with the virus. Symptoms can include fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, extreme fatigue, a dry cough, sore throat and stuffy nose. Most people will recover within a week but flu can cause severe illness or even death in people at high risk. Did you know that 10,000 deaths in England and Wales are attributable to flu infections every year?

Why should I get a flu vaccine?

Anyone can catch the flu and spread it to others, getting a flu jab is the best way to protect yourself and those around you.

How does a flu vaccine work?

About 10 to 14 days after vaccination, your body makes anti bodies that help to protect you against any similar viruses that may infect you. This protection lasts for about a year, so covers the current flu season.

Will a flu vaccination give me flu?

No. All injectable available flu vaccines do not contain live viruses. One vaccine, an intranasal vaccination, contains live  viruses that have been weakened. None of the flu vaccines can therefore cause flu. However, a flu vaccination can take up to 2 weeks to begin working, so it is possible to catch flu in this period. A flu vaccination is designed to protect you against the most common and potent strains of flu circulating that season in your native area, so there is a small chance you could catch a strain of flu not contained in the flu vaccine or even just a cold virus circulating in the community (flu vaccines do not offer protection from cold viruses).

Why do I need a flu vaccine every year?

Flu viruses are change constantly and vaccines are developed to protect against the predicted strains each year. So it is important to get vaccinated against the latest strains.

Book your flu vaccine today

To reserve your flu vaccine book an appointment at one of our pharmacies today. We can offer you an NHS vaccine if you are in one of the NHS priority groups without charge. Don’t worry if you are not in one of these groups, we can still vaccinate you on a private basis. Private vaccines cost £12.