NHS Walsall Chairman gets the flu jab

Walsall Health Chiefs are today urging people at risk of flu to get protected and have the seasonal flu vaccine. Four groups have been identified as being most at risk:

Pregnant women and their baby
People with long term conditions which can be anything from diabetes to asthma, heart disease and multiple sclerosis.
Carers, and
People over 65 years
 

Geoff Archenhold, Chairman of NHS Walsall said today, “I’m really pleased to have had the flu jab to protect me and my family. It didn’t hurt and was so quickly done that I didn’t have time to worry about it.”

Dr Narinder Sahota, Walsall GP and Medical Director of NHS Walsall said: “Flu is different to getting a cold and the effects of seasonal flu are often underestimated. Some people are more at risk from flu and need the vaccine because they are not able to fight off flu as easily as others. It can often result in more serious complications which require hospital treatment.

“This can be prevented by having the vaccine, which is being provided free at GP surgeries across Walsall for people with long term conditions, carers, those over 65 and pregnant women.

“Flu is a highly infectious illness caused by a virus. It changes every year as does the vaccine to fight it, so it is important that those at risk protect themselves every year. Getting the free jab helps protect them and their loved ones. “

More people died from influenza and pneumonia than those who died with breast cancer or prostate cancer in 2009. Last years winter flu outbreak resulted in over 600 deaths in the UK, and thousands more people died with flu as a contributory factor.

There are additional ways people can protect themselves and those around them. Good hand hygiene - the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ technique – reduces the spread of germs. This means carrying tissues, covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue, disposing of the tissue after one use, and cleaning hands as soon as possible with soap and water or an alcohol hand gel.

The flu vaccine is available at GP surgeries across the Walsall Borough and is available for FREE to the four at risk groups-pregnant women; people with long term conditions; carers and people over 65 years old.

ENDS

For media enquires call Helen Cook, Communications Manager, NHS Walsall on 01922 618356 or 07787 507939.

Pic attached: from left to right. Dr Sahota and Geoff Archenhold

Notes to editor:

1.         In 2009, 11,100 men and 15,700 women died from influenza and pneumonia. 10,300 women died with breast cancer and 9,400 men died with prostate cancer – figures from the Office for National Statistics.