As winter nears, Age Concern Birmingham have launched a new campaign aimed at reducing illness in the coming months.  From October to early November they will be working to promote the flu jab to:

• Anyone aged over 65
• Anyone who lives in a residential or nursing home
• Anyone who cares for or works with older or disabled persons
• All pregnant women
• Anyone  with a long term health problem [including babies aged 6 months or over] 

This winter’s flu jab protects against the same three strains of flu as last year’s vaccines. These include the H1N1 strain of the flu virus. H1N1 is the same strain of flu that caused the 2009 swine flu pandemic.

Only 69.3% of those aged 65 and over, in the Birmingham North and East PCT, got the flu jab last year.  Age Concern Birmingham’s campaigning team aims to increase this figure during 2011, particularly to those with a long term health problems and anyone who cares for or works with older or disabled persons. 

So if you are in one of the target groups please get the jab. And if you are talking to friends or relatives who meet the criteria, please also encourage them to get it done before the winter arrives.