Provided as a service to medicine by Seqirus UK Limited.Copyright © Seqirus UK Limited 2017. UK/FLU/0517/0016 May 2017.

SUPPORTINGLOCAL PHARMACIES

DO YOU KNOWTHE FACTS?

Informati on and advice for pati ents.Informati on and advice for pati ents.

IT’S TOO BIG TO IGNORE.

FLU VACCINATION - YOUR SUITABILITYThere are certain circumstances that prevent the pharmacist from administering a fl u vaccinati on.

You should be able to confi rm the following: • You have not had the current seasonal fl u vaccine

before (unless you are aged 9 years or under and receiving infl uenza vaccine for the fi rst ti me, in which case a second dose of the inacti vated vaccine is required at least 4 weeks aft er the fi rst).

If any of the following apply to you, you should discuss your suitability with the pharmacy assistant:

• You have any signifi cant infecti on at present e.g.chest infecti on.

• You have had any other immunisati ons or vaccinati ons during the last 3 months.

• You have ever fainted or felt dizzy aft er receiving an injecti on in the past.

• You are allergic to anything.• You are taking any medicati on.• You are suff ering from any medical conditi ons.

POST VACCINATIONADVICEAft er you have had your vaccinati on...

• If you have a sore arm, apply a cold fl annel.• If you have a headache or slight fever,

drink plenty of water and painkillers may help.• If your symptoms persist over 48 hours,

contact your surgery.

FLU. THE FACTSWhat is flu?Flu is an acute viral respiratory infecti on. It spreads easily from person to person1; at home, at school, at work, at the supermarket, on the train.It gets passed on when someone who already has fl u coughs or sneezes and is transmitt ed through the air by droplets, or it can be spread by hands infected with the virus1.Symptoms can include fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, extreme fati gue, a dry cough, sore throat and stuff y nose2. Most people will recover within a week but fl u can cause severe illness or even death in people at high risk1. It is esti mated that 10,000 deaths in England and Wales are att ributable to infl uenza infecti ons annually2.

Why should I get a fl u vaccinati on?Anyone can catch the fl u and spread it to others, getti ng a fl u jab is the best way to protect yourself and those around you1.

Please be aware that if you fall into one of the NHS at-risk categories you are enti tled to a free fl u jab at your GP practi ce, or in your pharmacy if more convenient. Please visit www.dontf orgetaboutf lu.co.uk for more informati on.

How does a flu vaccine work?About 10 to 14 days aft er vaccinati on, your body makes anti bodies that help to protect you against any similar viruses that may infect you. This protecti on lasts for about a year, so covers the current fl u season3.

Will a flu vaccination give me flu?No. All injectable available fl u vaccines are inacti vated and do not contain live viruses. One vaccine, an intranasal vaccinati on, contains live att enuated viruses that have been weakened and adapted. None of the infl uenza vaccines can therefore cause fl u2. However, a fl u vaccinati on can take up to 2 weeks to begin working3 so it is possible to catch fl u in this period.A fl u vaccinati on is designed to protect you against the most common and potent strains of fl u circulati ng that season in your nati ve area, so there is a small chance you could catch a strain of fl u not contained in the fl u vaccine or even just a cold virus circulati ng in the community (fl u vaccinati ons do not off er protecti on from cold viruses).

Why do I need a flu vaccinati on every year?Infl uenza viruses are constantly changing and vaccines are developed to protect against the predicted strains each year so it is important to get vaccinated against the latest strains for your part of the world2.

For more informati on about fl u, visit:

www.dontf orgetaboutf lu.co.uk

References

1. World Health Organizati on. Infl uenza (Seasonal) Fact Sheet No. 211, November 2016. htt p://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs211/en/index.html (accessed May 2017).

2. Public Health England. Immunisati on against infecti ous disease. Infl uenza: the green book, chapter 19. August 2015. htt ps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/att achment_data/fi le/456568/2904394_Green_Book_Chapter_19_v10_0.pdf (accessed May 2017).

3. NHS Choices. Flu Jab FAQs. July 2016. htt p://www.nhs.uk/conditi ons/vaccinati ons/pages/fl u-vaccine-questi ons-answers.aspx (accessed May 2017).

If you get any side eff ects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side eff ects not listed in the package leafl et. You can also report side eff ects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard. By reporti ng side eff ects you can help provide more informati on on the safety of medicines.