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Influenza is an unpredictable virus that can be unpleasant, but if a person is otherwise healthy, it will go away by itself in a week. However, if a person has an underlying health problem or if his / her immune system is not strong, the flu virus can present a risk of death. Some people are more likely to develop potentially serious complications of the flu, such as bronchitis and pneumonia, explained the NHS. For some people, an influenza vaccine is needed to offset the risks.
According to the NHS, the flu vaccine injected is offered free of charge on the NHS to people at risk. This will help them protect themselves against the flu and serious complications.
A person should be vaccinated against the flu if they:
- Are 65 years old or older
- Are pregnant
- Have certain medical conditions
- Live in a long-term care home or other long-term care facility
- Receive caregiver allowance or be the primary caregiver of an elderly or disabled person whose well-being may be at risk in the event of illness
"The front-line health and social workers are also eligible to receive the flu shot. It is up to the employer to organize and pay for this vaccine, "said the NHS.
Depending on the health organization, a person may also be vaccinated against influenza with their general practitioner or at a local pharmacy offering the service if they are a front-line health worker or social worker employed by:
- Hospitality center / registered retirement home
- Registered Home Care Organization
- Hospice
The flu vaccine is also free on the NHS for:
- Children over 6 months with a long-term health problem
- Children aged two and three on August 31, 2019 – born between September 11, 2015 and August 31, 2017
- Children in primary school
- People may experience the side effects of vaccination, but they are usually mild and do not last long, noted the body in good health.
The most common side effects of vaccination include:
- The area where the needle comes in looks red, swollen and feeling a little sore for two to three days
- Babies or young children feel a little bad or develop a high temperature for one or two days
Which vaccines are available?
In the United Kingdom, the following vaccines are systematically offered free of charge by the NHS:
children:
- Vaccine Six in one
- Rotavirus vaccine
- Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV)
- MenB Vaccine
- Hib / MenC Vaccine
- MMR vaccine
- Vaccine against nasal flu
- Preschool Booster
- HPV vaccine
- Teen Booster
- MenACWY Vaccine
adults:
- Inactivated influenza vaccine
- Vaccine against shingles
- Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPV)
Pregnant women:
- Vaccine against pertussis during pregnancy
- Influenza vaccine during pregnancy
The following vaccines are offered free of charge to persons belonging to particular risk groups:
- Vaccine against hepatitis A to protect people at risk of infection with hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B vaccine to protect babies and others at risk of contracting hepatitis B
- Varicella vaccine to protect people at risk of getting chickenpox
- Tuberculosis vaccine (BCG) to protect people at risk of contracting TB
Why vaccines are so important
As explained by the NHS, vaccinations prevent up to three million deaths worldwide each year. Vaccines teach a person's immune system how to create antibodies that protect them from disease.
It is much safer for a person's immune system to learn this through vaccination than by detecting and treating diseases.
Once a person's immune system knows how to fight a disease, he can often protect it for many years.
Having a vaccine also benefits a whole community through "collective immunity," explained the health website.
If the number of people vaccinated is sufficient, it is more difficult for the disease to spread to those who can not get vaccinated, noted the health agency.
"For example, people who are sick or whose immune system is weakened," he said.
However, unlike vaccination, collective immunity does not confer a high level of individual protection. It is therefore not a good alternative to vaccination, warned the Vaccine Knowledge Project.
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