Posted on 26-September-2017   by Imogen Jones

Flu jab campaigns are making a real difference

With recent warnings in the news of a potentially major flu outbreak in the UK, we take a look at what’s being done to encourage take-up of the life-saving flu jab.

The Flu versus a Cold

Flu and the common cold may share some symptoms, but are caused by different viruses. A cold will usually just make you feel under the weather, whereas flu can kill. In England, an average 8,000 people die from flu and associated complications, such as pneumonia, every year.

But by having a quick, and relatively painless, vaccination, the chances of someone getting flu and spreading it to people who they work with, live alongside or care for, is significantly reduced.

This is why NHS trusts up and down the country are targeting those who work with some of the most at-risk groups, with information about the importance of getting vaccinated.

Flu Jab campaigns that focus on frontline medical staff

The push comes amidst ongoing national efforts to encourage more frontline medical staff to have the jab. During the 2016 to 2017 season, 63.2% of frontline staff received the seasonal influenza vaccine compared with 50.6% in 2015 to 2016, showing the positive effects of successful campaigns such as Flutober and Flu Fighter.

The Flu Fighter team also developed a range of new tools to support flu vaccination campaigns in residential care settings. The resources include guidance and campaign materials to encourage and educate staff to have the flu vaccination, thereby protecting people receiving care and support.

Flu Bee is another fantastic initiative, created with James Paget University Hospital, designed to improve staff uptake of the flu vaccine. The unique online game did just that, and led to a doubling of the flu jab uptake among the hospital’s frontline staff.

Follow @NHSflufighter for all the latest flu updates and developments, and join the conversation on Twitter with #flufighter #flutober or #flufightercare.

Is your organisation running a flu jab awareness campaign? We’d love to hear about it. And if you tag @DanielsHCareLtd in your #flufighter selfies and photos, we’ll retweet them.

If you like to contact our friendly customer support team, call 01865 371 841, email info@daniels.co.uk or message through our Facebook Page private inbox.

Imogen Jones

Imogen is the Product Manager for our SHARPSGUARD® range, and our Marketing Manager for the UK & Ireland.