The health and wellbeing of you, your family and our patients is very important.
If you catch flu, you can spread the virus without having any symptoms. If you develop symptoms, this may also take you away from those that depend on you, this may be your children, partner, older parents, or your patients.
The flu vaccination is very effective, often offering up to 90% protection. This can depend on how closely matched this year’s circulating strains are to the virus.
The flu vaccination is the best protection we have against a virus that can cause very serious complications, even for people who are usually very healthy.
This year's vaccine contains protection against the leading strains of flu virus as researched by the World Health Organisation.
In most people, both the flu jab and COVID-19 booster are tolerated well, and everyone can get on with their day, knowing the vaccine will soon be protecting them and those they care for.
It can take up to two weeks for both vaccines to provide maximum protection. Some people might feel a slight soreness or develop bruising at the injection site.
In very rare cases vaccinations can cause a slight fever, or some aches and pains. For flu jabs, this is often confused with "having the flu" but this is just your immune system responding as it should to make antibodies to protect against the virus.
Severe reactions are extremely rare, and all peer vaccinators are trained to manage any rare adverse effects.
If you get protected early at your GP or a pharmacist, or anywhere else outside of the Trust, please let us know so that we can accurately measure the level of protection the Trust has.
Vaccinations are not mandatory, but we do encourage as many colleagues as possible to have a flu and COVID-19 booster vaccination. It is important that your wellbeing is maintained. It is also important to protect and keep safe the people you care for.
If you have had a flu jab elsewhere outside of the hospital, please complete our online notification form:
Complete the notification form
If you've experienced flu, you'll know it is extremely unpleasant. It is worse than a bad cold - the difference between a cold and the flu is stark.
While levels of protection can vary year to year, the vaccine can provide up to 90% protection against many strains of the flu virus, particularly where the vaccine strain closely matches the circulating strain. The World Health Organisation researched the circulating strains each year and uses lots of surveillance data from around the world to make a well-informed decision on what strains are likely to be dominant strains in the next flu season.
In people who have been vaccinated but still develop flu, the symptoms are often found to be milder. In a study by The Lancet, up to 77% of people carrying flu have no symptoms. By not having the vaccine, you could be more likely to spread the virus to your patients and your own family without knowing. Protect yourself and prevent the people you care for getting sick. By having a vaccination makes everyone safer.
With the threat of COVID-19 and flu circulating together, it is important to protect ourselves against both viruses as much as possible. For both viruses, we have a vaccine that we know is very effective. Both vaccines will be available to all staff. Flu vaccinations will be available in all clinical areas. COVID-19 booster vaccinations will be provided Birmingham and Solihull Vaccination Service at central hubs at all our hospitals.
The vaccine is given as a small injection to the upper arm. The Trust does not supply the nasal spray version which is most often given to children at school and is a ‘live’ virus.
Once you have had the flu vaccine, your protection will last for around a year.
As flu is a rapidly changing virus, it is recommended that you receive the vaccine each year.
UHB staff will receive the Cell-based Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine. This vaccine is egg-free. See the vaccine page for information on the two types of vaccine that will be available across UHB this year:
All staff across the Trust clinical and non-clinical, including students and volunteers, are entitled to the free vaccine.
Staff over 65 years old, and those with long-term or chronic health conditions should seek their vaccine as soon as it is available, as flu poses greater risks for people in older age groups or those with weakened immune systems.
GPs provide the vaccine to children, pregnant women, people with serious or chronic conditions, and over 65s free of charge.
It's offered on the NHS every year in autumn or early winter.
You can get the free NHS flu vaccine if you:
are aged 65 or over,
have certain long-term health conditions,
are pregnant,
live in a care home,
are the main carer for an older or disabled person, or receive a carer's allowance,
live with someone who has a weakened immune system
Frontline health and social care workers can also get a flu vaccine through their employer
If you do receive the vaccination outside of the Trust (e.g. at your GP, in a supermarket or at a pharmacy), please let us know about this so we can keep track of the Trust’s level of flu protection.
To let the flu team know you’ve had your vaccination, please complete the form:
Complete the notification form
Yes, it's strongly recommended that pregnant women are vaccinated, and this is safe. Catching the flu whilst pregnant is more dangerous to the health of baby and mother. Having the vaccination can also provide immunity for your newborn baby for a short time after they are born.
The injection only takes a few moments. Following the injection, it's recommended that you wait for around 10 minutes to ensure there's no adverse reaction to the injection.
If you can't find the answers you're looking for on these pages, please email the Communications Team.
Yes – we encourage all students to be vaccinated against flu too. Just show your ID at the vaccination centre or ask the ward manager for your vaccinations. You are also able to have your vaccinations where these are available from roving vaccination teams that will visit all departments over the course of this year’s vaccination campaign.
If you have a needle phobia, or are anxious about getting the vaccine, there are a limited number of flu vaccination appointments available with Occupational Health. There would be support of one of our counsellors during the appointment. These are booked appointments only and are accessible by emailing the department.
Please use the subject line "needle-phobic flu appointment" and include your contact details so one of the administration team can call you to book your appointment.
Please visit the NHS website for information about COVID-19 vaccinations.