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Summary of flu immunisation policy

  • Last modified date:
    10 September 2010

Key points about flu immunisation policy in England.

Immunisation

  • The annual flu immunisation is the best protection against flu for people with underlying health problems that put them at risk of complications from influenza (flu), and for all those aged 65 and over, live in a residential or nursing home, are the main carer of an older or disabled person, or are pregnant
  • Government policy is to recommend immunisation for people aged 65 years and over
  • Immunisation is one of the most effective healthcare interventions available and flu vaccines are highly effective in preventing illness and hospital admissions among these groups of people
  • Increasing the uptake of flu vaccine among these high risk groups should also contribute to easing winter pressure on primary care services and hospital admissions
  • Strategic health authorities and primary care trusts take an active role in promoting flu immunisation locally
  • Flu is not usually life threatening for healthy people

Influenza (flu)

  • Flu is a highly infectious viral infection which occurs mainly in Winter. It is usually of sudden onset with fever, chills, painful muscles, headache, backache and cough
  • Flu for most people is an unpleasant but short illness, the main symptoms lasting up to about a week. Those affected are advised to stay at home, rest and drink plenty of fluids
  • For people in certain 'high risk' groups, such as those who have a heart problem, a chest complaint or breathing difficulties, a kidney disease, lowered immunity due to disease or treatment, a liver disease, had a stroke, diabetes, a neurological condition (for example multiple sclerosis), a problem with their spleen, for example sickle cell disease - or they have had their spleen removed.
  • Complications such as bronchitis and pneumonia are more common in these 'high risk groups' especially if they are also elderly and deaths occur almost entirely in these groups
  • Even during a winter where the incidence of flu is low, 3-4000 deaths may be attributed to flu; this can rise much higher in epidemic years, for example there were an estimated 13,000 deaths in 1993 which were because of flu and 29,000 in 1989/90
  • Up to 10 to 15% of the population may develop flu in any one year, varying from year to year. The number of people who consult their GP with flu-like illness during flu epidemics also varies considerably from year to year
  • Flu-like illness may be due to viruses other than flu. Even during an flu epidemic a proportion of so-called 'flu' is due to other viruses

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