Flu and COVID-19 vaccinations coming soon!

We are preparing to deliver flu jabs to staff and volunteers across the Trust. This year, the annual flu campaign will launch on 23 October, and run until mid-December.

Alongside the flu jab, the Covid-19 vaccine will also be offered to everyone. Both vaccines can be administered at the same time and there will be clinics available Trust wide.

We will be inviting all staff and volunteers to receive the Sequiris Cell-cultured quadrivalent inactivated influenza Flu vaccine QIVc for those under 65 years old. For 65 and over, we have Sanofi brand Recombinant quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine QIVr Flu vaccine. We are offering the seasonal Comirnaty, or Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine. 

Please keep an eye out on the intranet for a clinic dates. Where possible, we encourage you to get both vaccines in the same appointment to save you time and ensure you are protected against both viruses. If this is not possible, we encourage you to get each vaccine as soon as you can.Although we, and NHS health officials, recommend that having the two jabs together is the best way of staying healthy over winter, the option of having just one vaccine is available.

Studies conducted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic indicate that it is safe to get both a flu vaccine and a COVID-19 vaccine at the same visit. A CDC study published this summer showed people who got a flu vaccine and an mRNA COVID-19 booster vaccine at the same time were slightly more likely (8% to 11%) to have reactions including fatigue, headache, and muscle ache than people who only got a COVID-19 mRNA booster vaccine, but these reactions were mostly mild and went away quickly. The findings of this study are consistent with safety data from clinical trials that did not find any safety concerns with giving both vaccines at the same time.

We encourage all staff to have the vaccine to not only protect friends and families but also our patients who could be clinically vulnerable.

The flu team are currently finalising all the arrangements and will be sharing more information on the Trust intranet soon.

Published 12 October 2023