Flu Campaign 2014-15

Flu Clinics in Crediton

It’s that time of year again! Chiddenbrook and Newcombes will be running Flu Clinics at the respective surgeries. Patients identified as being in an ‘at risk’ group will be eligible for NHS flu vaccine (see below).

Patients ‘At Risk’

For most healthy people seasonal flu is an unpleasant but usually self-limiting disease with recovery usually within a week. However, some people are at particular risk of severe illness if they catch flu. The NHS identifies the following groups of people who are “at risk” and therefore eligible for a flu jab and should contact their surgery to arrange to be immunised.

  • People aged 65 years or over on 31 March 2015
  • All pregnant women
  • Carers

The NHS also identifies people as being ‘at risk’with serious medical conditions including:

  • Chronic (long-term) respiratory disease, such as severe asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or bronchitis
  • Chronic heart disease, such as heart failure
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Chronic liver disease
  • Chronic neurological disease, such as Parkinson’s disease or motor neurone disease
  • Diabetes
  • A weakened immune system due to disease (such as HIV or AIDS) or treatment (such as cancer treatment) or with no spleen.

Each surgery will also visit or arrange for the Community Nurses to immunise people in residential care homes and those who can’t make it in to the surgery.

Last winter, the risk of serious illness or death from seasonal flu was estimated to be more than 15 times higher for people in the ‘at risk’ groups compared to the population no at risk.

Children

The Department for Health have also extended the flu programme to include all children aged 2, 3 or4 on 1st September 2014. If your child falls within this age range and you would like them to be vaccinated against flu please call your surgery to arrange an appointment with a practice nurse. The appointment will not be part of the Saturday Flu Clinic Programme.

Other Sources of Flu Vaccine

If you are not in one of the ‘at risk’ categories and you still want a flu vaccine, you will find that many of the main Supermarkets and pharmacies offer the service for a modest fee. Given the increasing population in the ‘at risk’ groups neither Chiddenbrook nor Newcombes will be offering private vaccinations.

Chiddenbrook Surgery: Flu Clinics
Saturday 27th September
Saturday 4th October
Call 01363 772227 to book in to a flu clinic
New for 2014: if you have online access set up (and you’re over 16) you can book your appointment online.
Watch this space for further clinics / Newcombes Surgery: Flu Clinics
Saturday 4th October
Saturday 11th October
Call 01363 775066 to book into a flu clinic