NHS Leeds is working with partner organisations to introduce a series of new initiatives that will protect the most vulnerable in Leeds from serious illness.

One project will see children with disabilities offered free flu vaccination in the familiar and comforting surroundings of their specialist inclusive learning centres (schools), which will eliminate an often stressful and difficult journey to a GP practice. The scheme is being run in partnership with Leeds City Council, which manages the city’s specialist inclusive learning centres (SILCs).

In addition, people living in residential and care homes will be protected as the staff looking after them are being offered free NHS flu vaccination at the home by NHS Leeds. This will ensure that those caring for the most vulnerable in our society are able to protect themselves and their residents from flu.

Beryl Bleasby, Vaccination and Immunisation Manager for NHS Leeds says, “This year we have gone one step further with our flu vaccination programme so we can reach people who find it really difficult to get their flu jab through the normal route. It’s really important that we help protect them because they are most risk of being seriously ill if they get flu.”

Schemes are also underway to increase uptake of the flu vaccine among pregnant women. Last year, Leeds had one of the best flu vaccination uptake rates among pregnant women in the country. However, still only around half of women took up the offer of a free jab.

This year, all pregnant women who are admitted to the antenatal wards at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust will also be offered vaccination whilst they are there and midwives will be encouraging patients to ask them about the flu jab at their antenatal appointments.

The free NHS flu vaccination programme is open to anyone over 65 and children and adults with specific long-term illnesses and conditions. 174,308 people in Leeds are eligible for the jab on the NHS*.

Flu is known to seriously affect older people, children with pre-existing health conditions and adults of any age with a long-term condition like asthma, heart, liver and kidney problems. It is a lot more serious than a common cold and can cause severe illness and leave lasting damage to the lungs and other organs. Sadly, it can also lead to death with around 450 people losing their life to the illness in the UK last year. Nine of these were pregnant women.

Anyone who thinks they could be eligible for a free NHS flu jab should speak to their GP, nurse or another healthcare professional involved in their care.

Notes

* Based on 2010/11 figures.

• 167 people were admitted to a Leeds hospital with a primary diagnosis of flu last year. Three percent of these patients died. Many hundreds more patients were affected by flu with symptoms ranging from mild to severe.

• Nationally, over two thirds of people admitted to hospital with flu were eligible for the flu jab and most had not had it.

• An estimated 10,000 women in Leeds will be pregnant at some point during the flu campaign this year. All will be eligible for flu vaccination.