The flu season is inevitable, so let's be fully prepared
The 18th century American philosopher, statesman and diplomat, Benjamin Franklin, famously said: “…in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” In the 21st century, we can add flu and covid infections to the list.
Summer may still be with us (although some days you’d think it had gone on holiday itself) but autumn and winter will be here soon enough. These cooler months will bring with them a whole host of seasonal viruses, flu chief among them, but also the uninvited guest of COVID-19.
Once again, social care and NHS colleagues will be doing all they can to protect those most at risk. Even though the scale of infection is likely to be much smaller than the days of the pandemic, it’s still wise to consider vaccination.
To help frontline care and health colleagues get ahead of the infection curve, flu immunisation guidance was jointly issued earlier this year by NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care, and the UK Health Security Agency.
As you’d expect, eligibility for vaccination includes “those in long-stay residential care homes, carers in receipt of carer’s allowance, those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person and the close contacts of immunocompromised individuals.”
Protecting the health of those in your care remains paramount of course, but eligibility also includes frontline care colleagues...
“...without an employer led occupational health scheme, including those working for a registered residential care or nursing home, registered domiciliary care providers, voluntary managed hospice providers and those… employed by those who receive direct payments (personal budgets) or Personal Health budgets.”
“Social care workers directly working with people clinically vulnerable to flu should also have the flu vaccine provided by their employer. There are circumstances where frontline staff, employed by specific social care providers without access to employer led occupational health schemes (see cohort eligibility above), can access the vaccine through the NHS free of charge.”
COVID-19 vaccination update
Meanwhile, the government has also accepted advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) for an autumn COVID-19 vaccination programme this year. Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Andrew Gwynne, said:
“We are committed to protecting those most vulnerable from COVID and have accepted the independent advice from the JCVI for the autumn 2024 vaccination programme. We will also continue to offer COVID vaccination to frontline NHS and social care workers and those working in care homes for older people this autumn.”
It's not just about jabs
Alongside flu and COVID-19 vaccinations, I am sure you will continue to maintain the highest standards of infection prevention and control (IPC) in your care settings. For the latest advice and best practice from your peers, I’d recommend signing up to the Queen’s Nursing Institute’s IPC Champions Network if you haven’t already. Infection control is a battle fought on multiple fronts, so arm yourselves with as much information as you can!
For now though, enjoy what’s left of the summer, look after yourselves and those you care for and, together, we’ll help keep infections at bay and create more healthy days.
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