Brighton and Hove council urge residents to get flu jab

In 2021, peak flu season was mid-February, with some cases seen as late as April.

Brighton and Hove City Council Health and Wellbeing Board deputy chairwoman Sarah Nield said is urging everyone in the city who hasn’t already to get a flu jab.

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She said getting the jab is especially important now when “staying as healthy as possible is even more important”.

“People sometimes think a bad cold is flu but having flu can be much worse. You may need to stay in bed for a few days, and in the worst cases, flu can result in a hospital stay, or even death,” she said.

“Not everyone realises how infectious flu is. It’s easily spread to other people even if you have no symptoms.

“I’ve had my flu jab and it was easy and painless. I had it to stay healthy myself and to stop me spreading it to my friends and family.”

Ms Nield said reasons to have the flu jab include the risk of getting Covid and flu together, for the protection of vulnerable friends and family and to avoid missing work and school.

If you have had Covid, it is safe to have the flu vaccine and it is safe to have the Covid-19 booster and the flu jab at the same time.

Who can have the free flu vaccine?

• all children aged 2 to 15 (but not 16 years or older) on 31 August 2021

• those aged 6 months to under 50 years in clinical risk groups

• pregnant women

• all aged 50 and over (including those who'll be 50 by 31 March 2022)

• those in long-stay residential care homes

• carers

• close contacts of immunocompromised individuals

• frontline health and social care staff

Where to get the flu vaccine

You can have the NHS flu vaccine at:

• your GP surgery or a pharmacy - Find a pharmacy offering flu vaccines

• your midwifery service if you're pregnant

• If you have an appointment for a Covid booster vaccine at a GP surgery or pharmacy, you might also be offered a flu vaccine at the same time.