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Influenza Clinics
Our annual flu clinic will be on Saturday, 11th October 2008. Opening hours are approximately 8:30am-11:30am. Please note that there will be TWO
queues at the front door — one for those whose surnames start with letters A to K, the other for those whose surnames start with letters
L to Z — those in the wrong queue will be sent to the back of the correct one!
Vaccinations will be administered on a first-come first-served basis.
Note that we can only administer flu jabs to those patients currently registered at the Practice AND who are in one of the risk groups listed below.
Don't underestimate flu!
Influenza or 'flu' as it is usually called, is not just a bad cold. It is a serious viral disease that, whilst as easily caught as the common cold,
usually leads to more severe symptoms such as shivering, aching limbs, weak muscles, high temperature, headache — as well as possibly a dry cough,
sore throat and runny nose. You may not feel well for many weeks.
In extreme cases, particularly if you are in one of the at risk groups listed below — it could even be fatal.
Can I relieve the symptoms?
The usual cold and flu medicines you might buy from your chemist can help relieve certain flu symptoms. However, for certain people, the best thing
to do is to help prevent the flu in the first place by having a flu vaccination every year.
Don't worry — you cannot catch flu from the vaccine.
Who needs to be vaccinated?
The Department of Health strongly recommends that all those aged 65 years or over, and younger people in certain at risk
groups, should be vaccinated each year. These groups are listed below.
Aged 65 on or before 31st March 2009
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As you get older you are more likely to suffer the complications of flu, like pneumonia, which can be severe or even fatal. |
Main Carer of Elderly or Disabled Person
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Those living in long stay Residential Homes
| This does NOT include student halls of residence or prisons. |
Chronic Respiratory Disease
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For people with these conditions the flu virus causes coughing and breathing difficulties and can progress to pneumonia,
hospitalisation and even death:
- COPD
- Chronic bronchitis
- Emphysema
- Cystic fibrosis
- Bronchiectasis
- Interstitial lung fibrosis
- Pneumoconiosis
- Broncho-pulmonary dysplasia
- Asthma requiring repeated use of inhaled or systemic steroids or with previous exacerbations requiring hospital admission
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Chronic Heart Disease
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For persons in this group, flu can not only put extra strain on the heart, it can lead to other complications such as
pneumonia:
- Congenital heart disease
- Hypertension with cardiac complications
- Chronic heart failure
- Individuals requiring regular medication and/or follow-up for ischaemic heart disease.
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Diabetes
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People with diabetes are prone to complications of flu, which can upset blood glucose levels:
- Type 1 diabetes
- Type 2 diabetes requiring insulin or oral hypoglycaemic drugs
- Diet controlled diabetes.
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Chronic Liver Disease
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- Cirrhosis
- Biliary artesia
- Chronic hepatitis
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Chronic Kidney Disease
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People with kidney disease are also at increased risk from flu and its complications:
- Nephrotic syndrome
- Chronic renal failure
- Renal transplantation.
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Chronic Neurological Disease
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- Stroke
- Transient ischaemic attack (TIA).
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Immunosupression
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People suffering from and/or being treated for serious illnesses such as cancer or HIV are likely to have a weakened immune
system (the body's natural defence mechanism against infection). They are therefore highly susceptible to catching flu and being severely
affected by it:
- Immunosuppression due to disease or treatment
- Patients undergoing chemotherapy leading to immunosuppression
- Asplenia or splenic disfunction
- HIV infection
- Some individuals treated with systemic steroids for more than a month (see the DoH
web-site for full details).
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