We have received the following public health notice:

The Stay Well this Winter flu immunisation programme will be running once again this autumn to help protect adults and children at risk of flu and its complications.
Flu immunisation remains one of the most effective interventions we can provide to reduce harm from flu and pressures on health and social care services during the winter.
Flu is highly infectious and easily spread to other people therefore, it is vital that those eligible for the vaccination have it every year to protect against different strains of flu which can change regularly.

It is particularly important for those who are at increased risk from the effects of flu and their carers to receive their free vaccination. People aged 65 and over, pregnant women, those with long term health conditions and their carers can receive their vaccine at their local GP surgery or pharmacy.

It is also crucial that we protect our staff and the vulnerable clients they care for by ensuring eligible council care staff have the vaccination each year. Eligible staff will be contacted directly and offered an onsite vaccination at their place of work.

NHS England have confirmed that care home and domiciliary care staff will again be eligible to access the national NHS flu immunisation programme. A joint letter from Public Health England (PHE) and the Director of Public Health which will be sent to all commissioned care homes as a first step in promoting this to providers.

To encourage as many people as possible to take up the free vaccine, we’ll be promoting it along with the Stay Well this Winter campaign to eligible staff and members of the public between September and November.

For more information on staying well this winter, visit www.durham.gov.uk/warmandwell, and for more detail on flu vaccinations, www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/flu-influenza-vaccine/