Covid and flu vaccinations are being offered to older people from October (Image: Getty)
Double NHS vaccines for people aged 75 are being rolled out from October to protect against winter viruses.
The vaccines are the flu and the autumn booster Covid vaccine, which are being offered to older people for free from this month. The NHS begins its seasonal flu vaccination programme in autumn, well ahead of the winter season so that people have protection before respiratory viruses reach their peak. Flu typically reaches peak levels around December and January, but the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) this week warned that flu cases are already rising, suggesting the flu season has started early this year.
The rise in flu coincides with a surge in Covid-19 infections, with the XFG variant – also known as ‘Stratus’ or ‘American Covid’ – driving a sharp rise in cases across the UK last month.
Figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show 4,589 new infections were reported in September – a 230% increase from just 1,374 cases recorded in August, while hospital admissions involving Covid-19 also jumped from 950 in August to 4,939 in September, with more than half of positive tests linked to the XFG Covid strain.
While current data suggests that the XFG variant doesn’t lead to more serious illness than other Covid strains in circulation, getting vaccinated can help to protect against severe disease and hospitalisation – and this applies to flu as well.
Both the NHS and UKHSA are urging those who are eligible not to wait for winter to get vaccinated, as it takes a couple of weeks for the vaccines to provide full protection.
NHS National Medical Director Professor Frankie Swords said: “Staff are already seeing the ominous early signs of pressure, with more patients coming to A&E with flu and other respiratory viruses than usual for this time of year, and unfortunately, many people are still waiting longer than we would like them to.
“This is why it’s absolutely crucial to take up the offer of flu, RSV, COVID-19 and other vaccinations if you’re eligible, to protect yourself, your family and the public. We all have our part to play, so please don’t wait for winter – come forward to your GP or pharmacy now and get protected”.
The autumn Covid-19 vaccination programme opened on October 1 and is offered to those at the highest risk of disease, which includes:
residents in care homes for older adults
individuals who are immunosuppressed, aged six months and over
As for the flu jab, the vaccination programme opened to older adults aged 65 and over from October 1, so if you haven’t done so already, you can now book an appointment.
The October rollout also includes people aged 18 to 65 who are in a clinical risk group, those in long-stay residential care homes, carers in receipt of Carer’s Allowance, close contacts of immunocompromised people, and frontline workers in a social care setting.
The NHS will contact you when you can get your flu vaccine, which will either be available from your GP surgery or a pharmacy that offers NHS flu vaccination.
The UKHSA said: “Because flu activity is already trending higher than usual for this point in the year, and because it takes a couple of weeks for the vaccine to provide full protection, getting vaccinated sooner rather than later gives you the best chance of being protected before flu takes hold more widely.
“If this does turn into an early season, waiting could mean you’re exposed during the period before your immunity has had time to build.”
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
