Flu vaccination by injection, commonly known as the "flu jab" is available every year on the NHS to protect adults (and some children) at risk of flu and its complications.

Flu can be unpleasant, but if you are otherwise healthy it will usually clear up on its own within a week.

However, flu can be more severe in certain people such as:

 

• anyone over the age of 65
• pregnant women
• children and adults with an underlying health condition (particularly long-term heart or  respiratory disease)
• children and adults with weakened immune systems
• adults living in a long-stay residential care home

• who are main carer for someone

• member of a recognised voluntary organisation who provides planned emergency first aid

 

Anyone in these risk groups is more likely to develop potentially serious complications of flu, such as pneumonia (a lung infection), so it's recommended that they have a flu vaccine every year to protect them.

 

The flu vaccine is given free on the NHS as an annual injection to:

adults over the age of 18 at risk of flu (including everyone over 65)

children aged six months to two years at risk of flu