Immunisations, screening and flu

Flu

What is flu?

Is an acute viral infection of the respiratory tract. Three types of influenza viruses A, B and C, with A and B responsible for most clinical illness.

Influenza is highly infectious with incubation period of one to three days usually. For most healthy people, flu is an unpleasant but usually self-limiting disease with recovery generally within a week. However, the following people are at particular risk of severe illness if they catch flu:

  • Older people
  • The very young especially less than six months old
  • Pregnant women
  • Those with underlying disease, particularly chronic respiratory, cardiac disease or chronic neurological conditions
  • Those who are immunosuppressed

Influenza can present as or be complicated by bronchitis, secondary bacteria pneumonia, and in children otitis media. More usually influenza can be complicated by meningitis, encephalitis or meningoencephalitis

Flu is much worse than a heavy cold; with symptoms coming on suddenly you can experience,

  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Headache
  • Aching muscles and pain
  • Extreme tiredness
  • Dry cough
  • Sore throat and
  • Stuffy nose

Transmission

This can be through droplets, aerosols, or by direct contact with respiratory secretions of someone with the infection. It spreads rapidly, especially in closed communities. In the UK most cases occur during the winter. Don't put off getting your flu vaccination - watch this short video that shows just how easily flu can spread.

Progressive periodic changes in the protein surface of the virus result in major changes, and emergence of a new subtype. Immunity from the previous virus may not protect completely against the new subtype. With little or no immunity in the population, this may lead to widespread epidemic or even a pandemic.

What does flu mean for me?

If you're working you may have to take several days off work. For your children, a bout of flu would mean several days off school and the need to arrange childcare cover. In pregnancy it can be associated with perinatal mortality, prematurity, low birth weight and smaller size of the newborn.

How to avoid spreading and contracting flu

To reduce the risk of spreading flu:

  • Wash your hands regularly with soap and warm water
  • Cover your coughs and sneezes, making sure to dispose of the tissue as soon as possible
  • Vaccination against seasonal influenza (flu) offers the best protection and if you are in an 'at-risk' group it is very important that you have it. If you have a long-term condition, getting the flu can put you at greater risk of developing complications that could be serious

Find out how you can help to prevent flu.

Who is eligible for the free flu vaccination?

Influenza vaccine should be offered ideally before influenza virus starts to circulate, to:

  • Anyone 50 years and above
  • Have certain health conditions
  • Are pregnant
  • Are in long-stay residential care
  • Receive a carer's allowance, or are the main carer for an older or disabled person who may be at risk if you get sick
  • Live with someone who is more likely to get infections (such as someone who has HIV, has had a transplant or is having certain treatments for cancer, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis)
  • Frontline health or social care workers

Read further details about the children's flu vaccine on the NHS Choices website.

Vaccines through life

Vaccines are important, they protect you and your children. Vaccination's are the most important thing that we can do to protect ourselves. Vaccination saves lives.

It’s important that vaccines are given on time for the best protection, but if you or your child miss a vaccine please do contact your GP. To find out more visit the NHS vaccines website.

Vaccines are given in line with a national vaccine schedule:

Age

Babies under a year old

Vaccine

 

Age

8 weeks

Vaccine

6 in 1 vaccine

Age

 

Vaccine

Rotavirus vaccine

Age

 

Vaccine

Meningitis B

Age

12 weeks

Vaccine

6 in 1 vaccine (2nd dose)

Age

 

Vaccine

Pneumococcal (PVC) vaccine

Age

 

Vaccine

Rotavirus vaccine (2nd dose)

Age

16 weeks

Vaccine

6 in 1 vaccine (3rd dose)

Age

 

Vaccine

Meningitis B (2nd dose)

Age

Children aged 1 to 15 years

Vaccine

 

Age

1 year

Vaccine

Haemophilus influenza type b & Meningitis C (1st dose)

Age

 

Vaccine

Mumps Measles Rubella (1st dose)

Age

 

Vaccine

Pneumococcal (PCV) vaccine (2nd dose)

Age

 

Vaccine

Meningitis B (3rd dose)

Age

2 to 10 years

Vaccine

Flu vaccine (every year)

Age

3 years and 4 months

Vaccine

Mumps Measles Rubella (2nd dose)

Age

 

Vaccine

4 in 1 preschool booster

Age

12-13 years

Vaccine

Human Papillomavirus vaccine

Age

14 years

Vaccine

3 in 1 teenage booster

Age

 

Vaccine

Meningitis and septicaemia (MenACWY)

Age

Adult

Vaccine

 

Age

65 years

Vaccine

Pneumococcal (PPV) vaccine

Age

65 years (and every year after)

Vaccine

Flu vaccine

Age

70 years

Vaccine

Shingles vaccine

Bowel screening

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK. If it's detected at an early stage, before symptoms appear, it's easier to treat and there's a better chance of surviving it.

To detect cases of bowel cancer sooner, the NHS offers two types of bowel cancer screening to adults registered with a GP in England:

  • All men and women aged 60-74 and 56 years are invited to carry out a faecal immunological test (FIT). Every two years, they're sent a home test kit, which is used to collect a stool sample. If you are 75 or over, you can ask for this test by calling the freephone helpline on 0800 707 60 60.

Taking part in bowel cancer screening reduces your chances of dying from bowel cancer and removing polyps in bowel scope screening can prevent cancer. However, all screening involves a balance of potential harms, as well as benefits.

It's up to you to decide if you want to have it.

More information of the NHS bowel cancer screening programme can be found on their website.

Diabetic eye screening

People with diabetes are at risk of damage from diabetic retinopathy, a condition that can lead to sight loss if not treated. It occurs when diabetes affects small blood vessels, damaging the part of the eye called the retina. Everyone with diabetes who is 12 years old or over is invited for eye screening once a year.

Screening is offered because:

  • Diabetic retinopathy doesn't tend to cause any noticeable symptoms in the early stages
  • The condition can cause permanent blindness if not diagnosed and treated promptly
  • Screening can detect problems in your eyes before they start to affect your vision
  • If problems are caught early, treatment can help prevent or reduce vision loss

The screening test involves examining the back of the eyes and taking photographs. Depending on your result, you may be advised to return for another appointment a year later, attend more regular appointments, or discuss treatment options with a specialist.

Details about NHS diabetic eye screening programme can be found on the NHS Choices website.

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Screening

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screenings detect dangerous swelling (aneurysm) of the aorta - this is the main blood vessel that runs from the heart and down through the abdomen to the rest of your body.

This type of swelling is more common in men aged over 65 than it is in women or younger men. This is why men are invited for screening in the year they turn 65.

More details about NHS Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) screening programme can be found on the NHS Choices website.

Breast and cervical screening

Breast screening

About one in eight women in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. There's a good chance of recovery if it's detected in its early stages.

Breast screening aims to find breast cancers early. It uses an X-ray test called a mammogram that can spot cancers when they are too small to see or feel. As the likelihood of getting breast cancer increases with age, all women who are aged 50-70 and registered with a GP are automatically invited for breast cancer screening every three years. In the meantime, if you are worried about breast cancer symptoms, such as a lump or area of thickened tissue in a breast, don't wait to be offered screening - see your GP.

Details of NHS breast cancer screening can be found on the NHS Choices website.

Cervical screening

A cervical screening test (previously known as a smear test) is a method of detecting abnormal cells on the cervix. The cervix is the entrance to the womb from the vagina.

Cervical screening isn't a test for cancer; it's a test to check the health of the cells of the cervix. Most women's test results show that everything is normal, but for around 1 in 20 women the test shows some abnormal changes in the cells of the cervix.

Most of these changes won't lead to cervical cancer and the cells may go back to normal on their own. However, in some cases, the abnormal cells need to be removed so they can't become cancerous.

About 3,000 cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed each year in the UK. The aim of the NHS Cervical Screening Programme is to reduce the number of women who develop cervical cancer and the number of women who die from the condition. Since the screening programme was introduced in the 1980s, the number of cervical cancer cases has decreased by about 7% each year.

It's possible for women of all ages to develop cervical cancer, although the condition mainly affects sexually active women aged 30 to 45. The condition is very rare in women under 25. All women who are registered with a GP are invited for cervical screening:

  • Aged 25 to 49 - every three years
  • Aged 50 to 64 - every five years
  • Over 65 - only women who haven't been screen since age 50, or those who have recently had abnormal tests.

Full details of the NHS cervical screening programme can be found on the NHS Choices website.

Screening in babies

Details of screening tests which will be offered to your baby after they are born can be found on the NHS Choices website. These include:

Screening in pregnancy

You will be offered some screening tests during pregnancy to try to find any health problems that could affect you or your baby, such as infectious diseases, inherited conditions, Down's syndrome, or physical abnormalities.

More details of screening tests in pregnancy can be found on the NHS Choices website.

The tests can help you make choices about care or treatment during your pregnancy or after your baby is born. All screening tests offered by the NHS are free.

Screening tests are used to find people at higher risk of a health problem. This means they can get earlier, potentially more effective, treatment or make informed decisions about their health.

The screening tests offered during pregnancy are either ultrasound scans or blood tests, or a combination of both.

Ultrasound scans may detect physical abnormalities, such as spina bifida. Blood tests can help find the risk of inherited disorders such as sickle cell anaemia. Blood tests combined with scans can help find the risk of chromosomal abnormalities such as Down's syndrome.