Flu - make an informed CHOICE this year
Dear colleagues,
Let’s all enjoy some festive cheer this year. With Christmas fast approaching, infections such as flu and Covid-19 are circulating as more and more people come together indoors to celebrate with family and friends.
Symptoms from flu and Covid-19 can be relatively mild for many people, but we must not forget that they can cause very serious complications for those who are most vulnerable, or those with underlying conditions. This could be our friends and family members, our patients and our colleagues.
None of us want to see our loved ones sick or in hospital with flu over Christmas, or at any time, so please consider taking up the offer of the flu vaccine and Covid-19 booster and let’s prepare safely for the festive season. It’s the best way to protect ourselves and others, but remember it can take 10-14 days for the flu vaccine to be effective. If you are vaccinated there is still a chance you could get flu, however if you do get flu after vaccination, it is likely to be much milder and not last as long. You can get your vaccine at any time, and we will have clinics running until the end of January 2023.
You‘ll be aware that flu is very infectious and is easily spread to other people, be that via germs from coughs and sneezes, or from surfaces and hands where the virus can live for up to 24-hours if left untreated. We are already starting to see outbreaks of flu in some hospitals. Admission rates and intensive care admissions are increasing, with the highest rates of admission in children under the age of five and adults aged 75-84. If you do get flu you are more likely to give it to others in the first five days, so if you are unwell with suspected flu please stay at home and avoid contact with vulnerable people.
Please take five minutes to fill in this short survey to let us know if there is anything more we can be doing to enable colleagues to have their flu vaccinations.
Have you had your flu vaccine elsewhere?
If you've had your flu vaccine at somewhere else other than DCHS or Derbyshire Healthcare, we ask that you notify us - this could have been at your GP or chemist. If you've had your flu vaccine elsewhere, please could you notify us by using this link (you will need to be on the VPN for this link to work) - this enables us as an organisation to report nationally accurate figures.
Other options to help get you vaccinated
If you're struggling to get into one of our sites for your flu vaccination, you can also go to your local pharmacy. Please take your ID and you may receive your vaccination for free. If you are charged, this can be claimed back through your expenses. All we ask is that if you decide to do this, please let us know by using this link (you will need to be on the VPN for this link to work).
If you are struggling to access your flu vaccination, please email us at dchst.flu@nhs.net and we will get in touch to assist you.
For more information on this year's flu campaign, you can visit our Flu webpage here.
We thank you for your support in helping make DCHS as safe as possible for all of us this winter.
Let’s make a choice this Christmas to reduce the risk of spreading flu and Covid-19.
Kind regards
Michelle Bateman - Chief Nurse
Dr Ben Pearson - Medical Director
Julie Morrell - IP&C / Senior Clinical Lead for Quality Specialist Services