Seasonal flu vaccination 2016/7
13 September 2016
Flu immunisation remains the most effective method to help protect against influenza infection. It is important to protect doctors from flu and also to reduce the risk of transmission to patients. Doctors are reminded of the General Medical Council’s (GMC) guidance on Good Medical Practice (2013), which advises immunisation ‘against common serious communicable diseases (unless otherwise contraindicated)’. Along with other interventions, flu immunisation is an important tool in preventing and controlling respiratory infections in healthcare settings.
Last year only 50.6% of frontline health care workers were immunised against influenza, compared to 54.9% in 2014/15. For this coming winter it is important that we reverse this decline, and aim for a much higher uptake both to help protect our families and communities, but also reduce the impact of the virus on our health services at a time of year we need them the most.
Further information is available for staff at the PHE website at www.gov.uk/government/collections/annual-flu-programme, and the NHS Employers website at www.nhsemployers.org/campaigns/flu-fighter.
From the Chief Medical Officer,
Professor Dame Sally C Davies FRS FMedSci
Richmond House
79 Whitehall
London
SW1A 2NS