Flu season is between September and March.

Flu is a highly infectious illness, which spreads very rapidly by coughs and sneezes from people who are already carrying the virus. The virus circulates every winter, usually over a period of a few weeks, so that a lot of people get ill around the same time. The flu jab is the best protection against the virus. You can get a free flu jab if you are:

• 65 or over
• living in an old people’s home or nursing home
• are over 6 months old and have a long-term (chronic) condition such as a heart problem, asthma, kidney disease, diabetes, have a lowered immune system due to disease or treatment such as steroid medication or cancer treatment

If you have a serious allergy to hens’ eggs, you shouldn’t get vaccinated. If in doubt, ask one of the practice nurses.

Healthy people don’t need to be vaccinated; for most people flu is uncomfortable but not serious.

Run by doctors, nurses and health visitors to monitor the health and growth of your baby and offer protective injections. You should be invited to bring your child along for a check-up at 8 weeks, along with injections at 8, 12 and 16 weeks for diphtheria, polio, tetanus, whooping cough and HIB. At I year your child should he invited along for a measles, mumps, rubella immunisation and at 3 years for a booster injection. Any child younger than 4 years who has not had a HiB vaccine or any of the other courses mentioned should contact us to arrange for this to be done.

Please feel free to make an appointment to discuss any problems your child may have with the health visitors. Fathers and grandparents are welcome to come along. We also offer Rubella immunisations and injections to school leavers. Appointments can be made during child clinic hours.

For more information on NHS immunisation schedules please go to the official NHS website.