6 reasons why healthcare professionals should utilise their free flu jab!

It is widely known that anyone over the age of 65 should be getting their flu vaccine annually. This is because they are most at risk of the illness developing into something more serious.

It is estimated that there are 10,000 deaths caused by the flu each year. We often underestimate the illness, pinning it as just being a bad cold, but this is not the case.

It is vital that healthcare professionals utilise their opportunity for a free flu jab, as this will benefit not just them, but the people they are caring for.

Below, we outline six reasons why healthcare professionals should get a flu jab:

1. It’s free!

The flu vaccine is free to people who are over the age of 65, pregnant, the main carer of someone who is elderly or disabled, frontline health and social care workers and people with specific, chronic healthcare conditions.

2. To protect yourself against the virus

Protecting yourself is as important as ever. As the flu is a genetically unstable virus, different people will get an altered level of protection, depending on their immune system. So, safeguarding yourself is a good start in ensuring the people around you are protected. Being given the jab won’t cause you to become infected, despite common belief! An inactive form of the virus is used so you will be able to go about your daily routine without being held up too much by your injection!

3. To protect patients against the virus

Even if your elderly customers have had the flu jab, they may not have a good immune response to their own vaccine, so you getting yours as well creates another barrier between them and the virus!

4. To protect colleagues against the virus

Your colleagues are as vulnerable as you are to the virus, as they will be around patients that are more susceptible to the flu than you - and their illness can easily be passed on.

5. Protect people at home

It is a good idea to get your free flu jab, as it can help protect your family at home from anything you may have picked up at work. Even if you feel well, the virus can be passed onto children who can be particularly vulnerable too.

6. Keep healthcare services effective and efficient.

It is important to keep our healthcare services efficient! The uptake on flu vaccines by healthcare workers according to the government website was 63.4% in 2016. A higher uptake of the vaccine would mean less employee sickness and a more effective service.