Time for flu vaccinations

All pregnant women are being offered the flu vaccine this year, regardless of the stage of their pregnancy.

Dr Lorraine Doherty of the Public Health Agency said: “Everyone who receives an invitation to be vaccinated against flu should see it as a positive step in protecting their health and the health of others around them. The seasonal flu vaccination programme specifically targets at risk groups because they are more likely to have severe illness and develop complications if they get flu, such as pneumonia, which can be life-threatening.”

The influenza vaccine will protect against the three strains which are predicted to be most prevalent from this autumn. The H1N1 (swine flu) virus is likely to be one of the dominant flu viruses again this winter and so has been included as part of this year’s flu vaccine.

As it takes about 10 days to develop protection against flu following vaccination, clinics will be held from early October onwards so that most people will have had the opportunity to receive the flu vaccine before the peak of the flu season in December.