Latest: Get immunised

Hostel providers should encourage residents to get the flu vaccine from their GP. GPs will offer this service free of charge to hostel residents as they are considered to be in an 'at risk' group. If hostel providers are having difficulty in accessing this service for their residents, this year, small supplies of vaccines (free of charge) are available to organisations who are in a position to arrange dedicated flu vaccination sessions in hostel settings for their residents but have not been able to do arrange this with their local primary care services (see immunisation below). NB this offer is for vaccine ONLY (not the health professionals to give the vaccinations). If you would like more information on this, you can contact beth.coyne@homelesslink.org.uk

The Department of Health (DH) would like to find out how hostels are making use of the free flu immunisation programme for their residents. As well as finding out about what's working well, the DH would also like to know about areas that are having problems accessing the vaccines or implementing the programme with residents.

Please answer the short questionnaire to help inform our work. Many thanks

Symptoms

The symptoms of flu include:

• a high temperature
• fever
• headache
• chills
• sore throat
• aches and pains, and sometimes
• vomiting or a feeling of nausea.

In most people symptoms will last from two to seven days. Flu outbreaks usually last for around six to eight weeks, and start in December or January, although they can sometimes break out earlier.

Immunisation

Flu immunisation is available free of charge on the NHS for those aged 65 years and over, and for people in at-risk groups under 65 years of age. Vaccination is recommended in these groups because these people can become seriously ill from the disease. The vaccine should ideally be given during the months of October and November and is usually given in GP practices.

Flu vaccine should be offered to the following groups:

• Those aged 65 years and over
• Those aged 6 months and over with underlying medical conditions such as:
• Chronic respiratory disease, including asthma;
• Chronic heart disease;
• Chronic renal disease;
• Chronic liver disease;
• Chronic neurological disease, including stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA);
• Diabetes;
• People with impaired immunity due to disease or treatment;
• Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis and related conditions;
• Those with hereditary and degenerative diseases of the Central Nervous System
• Those living in long-stay residential care homes or other long-stay care facilities.

Why is it important to make special provision for hostel residents?

Because they may:

• have poor access to routine primary care services
• fall into vulnerable groups although not receiving regular health care and
• the residential environment increases risk of rapid spread of flu

To support those people who find it hard to get protection from flu, residential settings/hostels may want to look at ways of encouraging residents to get the vaccine. This may be through heath promotion, encouraging attendance at GP practices or arranging for flu vaccination sessions in hostel settings.