2005+11-07,+Flu+vaccines,+James+Tweedie,+London

= Flu Vaccines =

Who should be vaccinated?
Influenza vaccination is recommended for patients over the age of 65, and those suffering from the following conditions:


 * Heart Disease (but not chronic high blood pressure)


 * Stroke


 * Diabetes


 * Asthma


 * Emphysema and other chronic respiratory conditions


 * Sickle cell disease or thalassaemia


 * Kidney failure, transplant or disease


 * Liver failure, transplant or disease


 * Spleen failure, transplant or disease


 * HIV / AIDS


 * Patients undergoing radiotherapy or chemotherapy


 * Patients in long-stay residential care homes


 * Full-time carers for an elderly or disabled people

Who should not be vaccinated?
Due to high demand and limited supply of influenza vaccine, patients outside these groups cannot be offered the vaccine.

What about Bird Flu?
This year’s influenza vaccine does not give immunity to the H5N1 strain “Asian Bird Flu”. No vaccine yet exists against this strain. But there is no reason to be worried. Asian Bird Flu has killed a total of 60 people in 2 years. All known cases have been among people who work with poultry. No-one has yet caught Asian Bird Flu from another human being.