Our expert sorts fact from fiction in the debate over flu jabs
Last year's ineffective flu vaccine did nothing to boost public confidence - but our expert says it could still save your life
FLU claimed 28,000 extra lives last year after an unusual mutation made the routine jab largely ineffective.
The main strain changed unexpectedly, so the vaccine was effective in just a third of adults.
It usually protects around half.
Public Health England said that the large amount of genetic drift was to blame for the sharp spike in flu deaths.
An extra 28,189 people died in 2015 compared to 2014, making it the largest percentage increase since 1968.
In total there were 529,613 flu deaths registered in England and Wales last year, the most since 2003.
Over-75s made up most of the victims.
But flu experts say the tragedy shouldn’t put us off having the jab this year, as it could save our lives.
Dr Christopher Chiu, clinical senior lecturer and honorary consultant in infectious diseases at Imperial College London and spokesperson for the British Society for Immunology, says: “Flu viruses constantly mutate, so every year a new vaccine containing different strains is developed.
“Some years the vaccine is less effective than others, but that doesn’t mean it’s not still hugely valuable.”
Last winter there was a “drifted H3 flu strain”.
By the time Public Health England warned that the main strain of influenza had mutated, it was too late to change the vaccine formula.
At the height of the crisis, GPs were urged to prescribe antiviral drugs to prevent cases in the most vulnerable.
The World Health Organisation decides which flu strains are most likely to circulate 12 months in advance, with different vaccines recommended for the Northern and Southern hemispheres.
It takes from February to September to produce sufficient quantities of the vaccine.
And if a change in the virus is detected once production has started, it is not possible to change it.
But Public Health England said this year’s vaccine looks likely to match the most dominant strain.
'The experience was horrific'
MUM-of-two Gwen Rachel was advised to have the flu jab while she was pregnant with her second child – but the 25-year-old from Leicester ended up floored by the illness when her baby was just a few weeks old.
Gwen, a stay-at-home mum to Aimee, eight, and ten-month-old Renie, says:
"I was advised to have the jab when pregnant, along with the whooping cough jab. I had it around September 2015 but I still ended up having the flu in November.
"It was absolutely horrific. My baby was just a few weeks old and I had another young daughter to look after as well. Thankfully, my partner did a lot.
"I was breastfeeding but that was about all I could manage for a week. He did everything else – housework, cooking and sorting out my other daughter. I was disappointed the jab didn’t work but I’m hopeful it made what I went through a little easier to deal with.
"I appreciate that the vaccine can only protect against certain strains, so I was probably unlucky enough to pick up one of the others.
"Perhaps it helped calm the symptoms down a bit. Anything more would’ve been unbearable."
Dr Chiu says: “It is crucial that we remember that vaccination remains the best protection we have against the unpredictable flu virus.
“Hundreds of virologists around the world are constantly working to make vaccines safer, more reliable and more effective.
“Just because the process isn’t perfect doesn’t mean it’s not saving hundreds of thousands of lives a year.
“I would urge anyone in the at-risk categories to get their free jab before this winter.”
Here, Dr Chiu answers the essential flu questions.
When am I most at risk from flu?
Flu circulates every winter, so many people get ill around the same time.
In a bad year this can be an epidemic.
However, it is impossible to predict how many cases of flu there will be each year.
Can I go to work or school if I have been in contact with somebody who has flu?
Yes.
You should go about your everyday business but stay at home if you develop flu-like symptoms.
Does everyone need a flu jab?
No, just people who are at special risk of problems if they catch flu.
Ask your GP about having an NHS flu vaccination if you:
- Are 65 or over
- Are pregnant, as the vcaccine can protect both the mother and her unborn baby
- Have a serious medical condition
- Are very overweight
- Live in a residential or nursing home
- Are the main carer for an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if you fall ill
- Are a healthcare or social care worker directly involved in patient care
Why are certain groups targeted for the flu jab?
Complications such as bronchitis and pneumonia are more common in people with other diseases, especially if they are elderly.
Almost all of the deaths related to flu are of people in these groups.
In long-stay residential homes, vaccination prevents the rapid spread of flu.
Can a GP vaccinate anyone else?
The final decision about who gets the NHS vaccination is up to your GP, based on your medical history and circumstances.
Is my child entitled to it?
If your child is aged between six months and two and is in a high-risk group for flu, they should have the jab.
If your child is aged between two and 17 and is in a high-risk group for flu, they should have the nasal spray flu vaccine instead of the jab.
Children aged two and three — plus children in school years one, two and three — are also eligible for the nasal spray flu vaccine.
How long will the vaccine protect me for?
For the upcoming flu season.
People eligible for flu vaccination should have it each year.
Can I have the flu jab while taking antibiotics?
Yes, provided you are not ill with fever.
How long does the vaccine take to become effective?
It takes between ten and 14 days for your immune system to respond fully after the flu vaccination.
If I had the jab last year, do I need it again now?
Yes. The viruses that cause flu can change every year, which means the flu (and the vaccine) this winter may be different from last winter.
Can the jab cause flu?
No.
It does not contain any live viruses so it cannot cause flu.
You may get a slight temperature and aching muscles for a couple of days afterwards, while your arm may feel a bit sore where you had the injection.
Other reactions are rare and flu jabs are very safe.
When is the best time to get my flu jab?
As soon as your GP gets supplies of the vaccine — usually between now and early November.
You can have it later in the winter although it is best to get it done as early as possible.
Is there anyone who can’t have it?
Yes. You should not have the vaccine if you have had an allergic reaction to a flu vaccine or one of its ingredients.
This is rare.
You also need to take precautions if you have an egg allergy.
Can I get the influenza jab privately?
People who aren’t eligible for an NHS flu jab can choose to pay for one privately.
It may be available from pharmacies or even in supermarkets and will probably cost up to £20.
Why is it recommended that healthcare workers are vaccinated?
Vaccination prevents healthcare workers from passing flu on to their patients or catching it from them.
It also helps the NHS to keep running effectively during a flu outbreak, when GPs and hospital services are likely to be particularly busy.
Can I still have a flu jab if I am pregnant or breastfeeding?
Yes. The vaccine poses no risk to a breastfeeding mother or her baby, or to pregnant women.
What if my GP has run out of the vaccine?
Your surgery should work with neighbouring practices to obtain further supplies.
Vaccine manufacturers and suppliers usually have stocks available for ordering.
Some local pharmacies offer a free flu vaccination service to NHS patients who are eligible for flu vaccination.
But this is only available for adults, not children.
'It's easy to see illness kills'
AFTER getting flu last winter, Kirsty Bidgood, 27, a lecturer from Newcastle, will be having the jab every year. She says:
"Before I got flu, I’d only heard of it as a really bad cold – but it is a million miles from that.
"Last year, after a week of feeling pretty lousy, I wore a thick coat at work all day and when I went home I couldn’t move off the sofa.
"Everything was aching, I was falling in and out of sleep and I started shaking.
"The next morning I had a tight chest and was struggling to breathe, so I called the NHS helpline on 111. A paramedic came and took me to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, where I was put on the emergency ward.
"I was kept in hospital for ten hours until they got my fever down and my heart rate and blood pressure back up. It was around two months until I felt close to normal again.
"I wouldn’t wish flu on my worst enemy. It’s so easy to see how it could kill. I thought flu jabs were only for really old people but I will be having it every year now."