Flu occurs every year, usually in the winter, which is why it is sometimes called seasonal flu. It is a very infectious disease which can come on very quickly. The most common symptoms of flu are fever, chills, cough, headache, pains in your joints and muscles and extreme tiredness. Healthy people usually recover within 3 to 4 weeks, but some people can develop serious life-threatening complications and need to be admitted to hospital.

Colds are much less serious and usually start with a stuffy or a runny nose, sore throat and cough.

How do we prevent the spread of flu?

Flu is unpredictable and there can be different strains of the virus, however, over the last ten years, the flu vaccine has generally been very good at targeting the circulating strains. The flu vaccine is available every year on the NHS, to help protect adults and children who are most at risk of flu and its complications.

Can I have a free flu vaccination on the NHS?

Flu can affect anyone, but if you have a long-term health condition, flu can make it worse, even if the condition is well-managed and you normally feel well.

We provide flu vaccines if you are:

• Aged 65 and over
• Pregnant
• Aged 2, 3 (by nasal spray)
• Between six months and 65 years of age and in a clinical risk group
• Living in a long-stay residential care home 
• Carers
• Close contacts of immunocompromised individuals

For more information, please see the NHS page about flu vaccine.

Flu Clinics

Every autumn, around September/October, we start our flu clinics. We aim to vaccinate as many as possible of those at risk, as indicated above. Many appointments are offered at weekends and the clinics are held at our branch site at Shafton Lane or at our main site at Beeston Hill.

We will invite you for a flu vaccination in the autumn by text message, but you can book into one of our clinics online or via the reception team.