Busting the myths behind the winter flu jab which even some NHS staff believe

Reporter: Joseph Timan
Date published: 13 November 2020


Hospital staff and other health care workers have been getting their free flu jabs ahead of the winter – but some NHS staff have refused to be vaccinated.

Northern Care Alliance (NCA), which runs hospitals and community services in Oldham, Salford, Bury and Rochdale, started vaccinating its staff in September.

By November 1, a total of 3,585 staff from Salford Royal had been vaccinated – around 32pc of its workforce – and at the Pennine Acute Trust, which covers Bury, Rochdale and Oldham, 6,252 staff had been vaccinated – around 54pc.

Nicky Clarke, chief of people at the NCA group, told the board of directors at the end of October that the flu vaccination campaign was progressing well as more staff had been vaccinated at that point compared to the previous year.

But, speaking at the public board meeting, she revealed that 22 staff at Salford Royal and 96 staff at Pennine Acute had declined the flu jab so far this year.

She said: “At the end of the campaign, we will look at what the reasons are.

“Anecdotally, the majority seems to be that they had it last year and they didn’t feel very well.”

The chief said ‘there’s no doubt’ some people feel unwell the day after the jab.

But the board said a ‘myth-busting’ education programme might be needed.

The employer is sharing staff stories each week to bust myths about the jab.

A spokesperson said: “There are many common myths that surround the flu vaccination and each year we work hard through our seasonal flu vaccination programme to inform our staff about the true facts, and encourage them to be vaccinated to protect themselves, their families, their colleagues and our patients from influenza.

"This is particularly important this year.”

Here are 10 common flu myths and the truth behind them, according to the NCA.

Flu is just like having a heavy cold

A bad bout of flu is much worse than a heavy cold. 

Flu symptoms come on suddenly and sometimes severely.

They include fever, chills, headaches and aching muscles, as well as a cough and sore throat. 

You’re likely to spend two or three days in bed. 

If you get complications caused by flu, you could become seriously ill and have to go to hospital.

The flu vaccine gives you flu

No, it doesn’t.

The injected flu vaccine given to adults contains inactivated flu viruses, so it can’t give you flu.

Your arm may feel a bit sore where you were injected, and some people get a slight temperature and aching muscles for a couple of days afterwards.

Other reactions are very rare.

Read more about how the injected flu vaccine works.

The children’s nasal spray flu vaccine contains live but weakened flu viruses that will not give your child flu.

Read more about the children’s flu vaccine. 

Flu can be treated with antibiotics

No, it can’t.

Flu is caused by viruses – antibiotics only work against bacteria.

You may be prescribed antiviral medicines to treat your flu.

Antivirals do not cure flu, but they can make you less infectious to others and reduce the length of time you may be ill.

To be effective, antivirals have to be given within a day or two of your symptoms appearing.

A bacterial infection may occur as a result of having the flu, in which case you may be given antibiotics.

Find out more about why antibiotics shouldn’t be overused.

Once you’ve had the flu vaccine, you’re protected for life

No, you aren’t.

The viruses that cause flu can change every year, so you need a vaccination that matches the new viruses each year.

The vaccine usually provides protection for the duration of that year’s flu season.

Read more about what’s in this winter’s flu vaccine.

I’m pregnant, so I shouldn’t have the flu jab because it will affect my baby

You should have the vaccine no matter what stage of pregnancy you’re in. If you’re pregnant, you could get very ill if you get flu, which could also be bad for your baby.

Having the jab can also protect your baby against flu after they’re born and during the early months of life.

Read more about the flu jab in pregnancy.

The flu jab won’t protect me against swine flu

Yes, it will.

This year’s flu vaccine protects against three different flu viruses, including the H1N1 swine flu virus. 

This is because the virus is expected to be circulating this year. 

Children can’t have the flu vaccine

Yes, they can!

The nasal spray flu vaccine is recommended on the NHS for all healthy two- and three-year-olds – plus children in reception class, and school years one, two, three and four.

In addition, children “at risk” of serious illness if they catch flu are eligible for a flu vaccine on the NHS.

This includes children with a pre-existing illness, such as a respiratory or neurological condition, and children who are having treatment that weakens their immune system, such as chemotherapy.

The flu vaccine is generally given as an injection to children aged six months to two years and as a nasal spray to children aged two to 17 years who have a long-term health condition.

The flu vaccine isn’t suitable for babies under the age of six months.

Read more about which children can have the flu vaccine.

I’ve had the flu already this autumn, so I don’t need the vaccination this year

You do need it if you’re in one of the “at risk” groups.

As flu is caused by several viruses, the immunity you naturally developed will only protect you against one of them – you could go on to catch another strain, so it’s recommended you have the jab even if you’ve recently had flu.

Also, what you thought was flu could have been something else.

If I missed having the flu jab in October, it’s too late to have it later in the year

No, it’s not too late.

It’s better to have the flu vaccine as soon as it becomes available, usually in October, but it’s always worth getting vaccinated after this, even if there have already been outbreaks of flu.

Vitamin C can prevent flu

No, it can’t. 

Many people think that taking daily vitamin C supplements will stop them getting flu, but there’s no evidence to prove this.


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