This year, getting the flu jab is more important than ever. Vincent Smith Pharmacy is providing this vital vaccination service for Eccles and the surrounding area.

What is the flu jab?

The flu jab is a vaccination against the influenza virus. Most people receive this vaccination as an injection or jab. But children receive the vaccination in the form of a nasal spray.

The flu vaccine is the best protection against catching the flu. It is possible to catch a strain of flu virus that wasn’t included in the vaccine. However, if you do, you’re still provided with some protection and will probably recover more quickly from than if you hadn’t had the jab.

You can get your flu jab from your GP. Alternatively, you can get it through a pharmacy vaccination service. Vincent Smith Pharmacy encourages everyone who can to get the flu vaccine in 2020.

Who should have the flu vaccination?

For 2020, it’s strongly recommended that everyone gets vaccinated if they can – especially if you were shielding during the coronavirus lockdown.

Having the jab will help protect you from catching and spreading the flu. It will also help prevent you from infecting other people in your family as well as helping to reduce the strain on the NHS during flu season.

Plus, it’s ok to have the flu jab when pregnant or if you’re taking antibiotics.

Who shouldn’t have the flu jab?

Most people can have a flu vaccine. However, there are a couple of exceptions:

•  – If you are currently unwell with a fever, you should delay getting the jab.
•  – If you have an egg allergy, first speak to your GP or pharmacist.

Who is eligible for a free jab on the NHS?

The flu vaccine is free for people in high-risk groups. You qualify for a free vaccine if you are in one of the following categories:

•  – Adults over the age of 65
•  – Primary school children
•  – Children aged between 2 and 3 on 31 August 2020
•  – Frontline health or social care workers
•  – Pregnant women
•  – People with certain medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes or chronic heart disease.

Your pharmacist will check if you qualify for a flu vaccination on the NHS. If you don’t qualify for a free injection, you can still have the jab privately. But you can still access the free injection from your pharmacist, which may be more convenient than booking an appointment at your GPs.

When should I have the 2020 flu jab?

The best time to have the vaccination is from early October to the end of November. This is the ideal time but you can have it later during the winter.

What are the flu vaccine side effects?

The flu vaccine is a safe and effective method of fighting the flu. If you experience any flu jab side effects, they are likely to be mild. Side effects include:

•  – Mild fever
•  – Aching muscles
•  – Sore arm where you were injected
•  – Headache
•  – Tiredness or feeling under the weather
•  – Blocked or runny nose

Some people also lose their appetite following the flu jab. Serious side effects of the injected flu vaccine are very rare.

How to get the flu jab at Vincent Smith Pharmacy

You can book an appointment with us and have your flu vaccination at our in-store clinic. Please contact us if you would like more information.