Success of flu jab campaign

21 November 2003

A campaign to inoculate people against influenza in time for winter has been hailed a success so far.

Health experts are urging everyone aged over 65 to get themselves protected against ‘flu. So far, 61% of people over the age of 65 in Suffolk have received their free jab since the immunisation campaign began in early October.

“By the end of October over 78,000 people over 65 years of age in Suffolk had been vaccinated,” said Dr Hamid Mahgoub, consultant in public health.  “We hope this figure will be much higher by the end of December.  Your GP will give free vaccination to those over 65 and those who have asthma, chronic heart, lung or renal disease, are diabetic or immunosuppressed.”

“Immunising people against ‘flu is all part of our programme of planning for the winter period,” said Dr Mahgoub.  “The last thing we need over a busy winter is to have a lot of people sick with ‘flu. 

“We are confident that we will meet our target of innoculating 70% of the over-65 population against ‘flu, but ideally would like our total to be much higher than that. Influenza can be a killer, and being as the jab is free and painless there is no reason not to get protected. I would strongly urge anyone aged over 65 who has not yet had their ‘flu jab to contact their GP as soon as possible.”