The annual campaign aimed at persuading vulnerable people to get Covid and flu jabs this winter is being launched in Suffolk on Thursday. It comes as new figures show that 18,000 deaths in the UK over the last two years have been linked to flu - a sharp increase after the Covid pandemic at the start of the decade. This followed a slight drop in the proportion of over-65s being vaccinated - down from 80% to 78% - and a more pronounced fall in the number of clinically vulnerable people being jabbed, down from nearly half to just over 40%.
Vaccinations will be available across Suffolk and north east Essex from Thursday, either by going to a community pop up clinic, pharmacy walk-in session or making a booked appointment at a GP or pharmacy via the NHS national booking system. Many GP surgeries have already contacted eligible patients to ask them to make an appointment. Those eligible include people aged 65 and over, women who are pregnant, care home residents and those aged six months to 64 years who are who are more likely to get seriously ill from Covid due to a health condition or treatment.
As well as Covid vaccinations, people in the above groups will also be eligible for a flu vaccination. A flu vaccination may be offered as part of the same appointment as the Covid booster. RSV vaccinations are also being offered to people aged 75 to 79 years and pregnant women from 28 weeks.
The vaccination helps protect against respiratory syncytial virus, which can make babies and olde.