Winter flu vaccine: All you need to know

Written by The Oakley Medical Practice 

Influenza (flu) is an infectious virus and can be serious. Symptoms may include a fever, a cough, a headache and tiredness. The virus spreads through the air when people cough or sneeze, or when they touch surfaces where the virus has landed, such as door handles or keyboards, then touch their eyes, nose or mouth. You can catch flu all year round, but it is especially common in winter.

Why should I get the flu vaccine?

Flu can be serious for some people. The vaccine gives you the best possible protection against the flu viruses likely to be circulating this season.

The vaccine not only helps protect you from getting the flu, but if you do get flu and have been vaccinated, the symptoms are likely to be milder and not last as long. This will reduce your risk of needing to go to hospital with serious flu-related illness. It also helps to reduce the spread of flu and may protect those around you from getting ill.

How does the flu vaccine work?

Flu vaccines help protect against the main types of flu viruses, which change every year.

It works by teaching your body’s immune system how to protect itself from flu. Once you have been vaccinated, it takes around 10 days for the vaccine to work. The flu vaccine itself cannot give you flu.

Possible side effects of the flu vaccines

Like all medicines, the flu vaccine can cause side effects. This is normal, but not everyone gets them.

It shows the vaccine is teaching your body’s immune system how to protect itself from the disease. These potential side effects are much less serious than flu or complications associated with flu.

Side effects are usually mild and may include:

• tenderness, swelling and/or redness at the site of the injection
• headache
• muscle aches
• fever (temperature 38°C or above)

You may also feel generally unwell. These possible side effects usually settle within a few days.

You can rest and take the normal dose of paracetamol (follow the advice in the packaging) to help make yourself feel better.

At our private medical practice in Sutton Coldfield, The Oakley Medical Practice, we offer a flu vaccine service for under and over 65s, both for individuals, and for companies that wish to protect their employees and reduce sickness absence.

If this is something you are interested in, then please call us on 0121 308 8876 or email admin@theoakleymedicalpractice.co.uk, and we will be happy to help.