MIKE HEDGES URGES PEOPLE TO PLAN FOR THEIR WINTER FLU VACINATIONS EARLY!

MIKE HEDGES URGES PEOPLE TO PLAN FOR THEIR WINTER FLU VACINATIONS EARLY!



Speaking after meeting with representatives of Sanofi Pasteur, manufacturers of Flu Vaccines, Swansea East AM, Mike Hedges said… I had a very interesting meeting with the team from Sanofi; they had some very interesting stats about how Swansea people do not attend for their Flu vaccines and Swansea has below average take up across a number of high risk patient categories. I would urge everyone to consider getting the flu vaccine, especially if they are in a high risk category. The vaccine is safe and painless ( I can vouch for that!). Please go along to and get vaccinated!









Flu Vaccine information

1) 2018/19 FLU VACCINATION COVERAGE RATES FOR SWANSEA LOCAL AUTHORITY[1].

·         Over-65s: 67.2% (1.1% below the average for Wales)

·         6 months-under 65 at risk: 43.0% - (1.1% below the average for Wales)

·         Pregnant Women: 44.7% (1.9% below the average for Wales)

·         Carers: 45.1% (4% below the average for Wales)

2) THE VALUE OF VACCINATION

-          Today, alongside clean, safe drinking water, immunisation is the most successful public health intervention for combating infectious diseases and reducing global mortality.

-          The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that vaccination saves up to three million lives across the globe every year^[2].

-          The influenza vaccination helps protect the majority of people who receive it^[3].

-          This is important because people with long-term conditions such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease are more at risk of getting serious complications from influenza including bronchitis, pneumonia and even death^[4].

-          Influenza vaccination is especially important for people at higher risk of serious complications from influenza, and for people who live with or care for at-risk individuals^[5].

-          Winter influenza outbreaks put the NHS under unnecessary pressure from vaccine-preventable illness.

-          The 2017-2018 the Welsh CMO’s report stated that 2017-18 saw the highest numbers of influenza cases diagnosed in general practices and hospitals since the 2009 pandemic. 88 outbreaks of acute respiratory illness were reported across hospitals and care homes. [6]

-          Sanofi Pasteur research using NHS data from the UK found that, from 2013-2018, the impact of influenza in patients with diabetes, chronic heart disease and chronic respiratory disease was over £510 million for secondary care alone.^[7] 

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[1] Public Health Wales, Seasonal Influenza in Wales 2018/19, accessible at: http://www2.nphs.wales.nhs.uk:8080/CommunitySurveillanceDocs.nsf/($All)/E3F7BE45AAB413658025841700552272/$File/Seasonal%20influenza%20in%20Wales%20201819_v1a(final).pdf

[2] World Health Organization. Health topics Immunization.

[3] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccine Effectiveness: How well does the flu vaccine work. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/vaccineeffect.htm

[4] NHS Choices. Who should have the flu jab? Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vaccinations/pages/who-should-have-flu-vaccine.aspx [Accessed 1 Sep. 2017].

[5] 2. NHS Choices. Who should have the flu jab? Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vaccinations/pages/who-should-have-flu-vaccine.aspx [Accessed 1 Sep. 2017].

[6] https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2019-05/chief-medical-officer-for-wales-annual-report-2018-2019.pdf

[7] Skinner L et al. Investigating the secondary care system burden of influenza hospitalisation in clinical risk groups using the HES database. PIN70. Presented at ISPOR Europe 2018.