Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List
| | A | | | B | | | C | | | D | | | E | | | F | | | G | | | H | | | I | | | J | | | K | | | L | | | M | |
| | N | | | O | | | P | | | Q | | | R | | | S | | | T | | | U | | | V | | | W | | | X | | | Y | |
Prevention of Flu
Regular immunization is recommended for people who:
- are 65 or over,
- are living in an old people’s home or nursing home,
- are the main carer for an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill,
- are over 6 months old and have a long-term (chronic) condition such as a heart problem, asthma, kidney disease, or diabetes,
- have a lowered immune system due to disease or treatment such as steroid medication or cancer treatment, or
- have long-term (chronic) liver disease.
The vaccine is available free of charge to these people.
Vaccination should be done in the autumn (October/ early November) by injection.
Anti-influenza vaccines, against recent types of A and B virus, are available and are roughly 75 per cent effective. If people who have been vaccinated do get flu, it tends to be a much less serious strain of the disease.
