Flu can be life threatening for people with certain health conditions. That’s why public health experts in Wales are encouraging those who are clinically at risk to ensure they get vaccinated against the flu as well as COVID-19 this autumn. It will help protect them from getting secondary infections.
Over 467,000 people in Wales are classed as clinically at risk, this includes people with conditions such as asthma, COPD, diabetes, liver or respiratory disease.
Flu and COVID-19 can cause serious illness for people with certain long-term health conditions. For example, there are over 99,000 people living with diabetes in Wales. They are 6 times more likely to die from flu and are also at high risk from COVID-19. There are over 12,000 people with liver disease in Wales. If you have liver disease you are 48 times more likely to die from flu and are also at high risk from COVID-19 (See more examples in Notes for Editors below). There are over 14,000 people in Wales with kidney disease. They are 19 times more likely to die from flu and are also at high risk from COVID-19.
Flu and Covid-19 spread more easily in winter because we spend more time indoors with others. In Wales last year, nearly 2,000 people were admitted to hospital with flu. People with long-term conditions can reduce their chances of being hospitalised from flu by up to a third, just by getting vaccinated.
Getting vaccinated remains our best line of defence against serious disease. Catching the flu can lead to secondary infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Flu viruses change quickly, so every year an updated vaccine is needed to offer protection. Topping up your COVID-19 vaccination will reduce serious symptoms and speed up your recovery if you do catch COVID-19. This protection will last through winter.
Vaccinating children not only protects them, but also older relatives, the wider community and the NHS. All school aged children will be offered the flu vaccine this year, as well as 2 and 3 year olds, those clinically at risk or over 65 and frontline health and social care workers.
To promote these vaccinations, Public Health Wales has launched a campaign to encourage people to protect themselves this winter. GPs and Health Boards will contact those who are eligible with details of when and where they can be vaccinated. People are advised to come forward as soon as possible once they have been contacted to receive their vaccination.
With winter pressures anticipated for the NHS, it is more important than ever that those who are eligible for a free flu or Covid-19 vaccine get vaccinated to help prevent them becoming seriously unwell and protect the NHS this winter.
Dr Christopher Johnson, Consultant Epidemiologist and Head of Public Health Wales’ Vaccine Preventable Disease Programme explains,
“Many people with common conditions like asthma or diabetes may not consider themselves to be clinically at risk, but flu can be serious for people with existing health conditions. It is well known that having a flu vaccine every year is one of the most effective ways to protect against flu. Likewise the COVID-19 autumn vaccination extends the protection against serious illness. Any side effects from the vaccinations are normally mild and don’t last long. “
