A: It’s been a while since there’s been a big outbreak of seasonal flu, nobody knows when the next major outbreak will occur. Individual protection could also be important if there was a flu pandemic (global outbreak) and experts believe that seasonal flu vaccination is a key part of preparing for one.

A: The WHO and EU recommendations for the northern hemisphere are: A/Solomon Islands/3/2006 (H1N1)-like virus; A/Wisconsin/67/2005 (H3N2)-like virus; B/Malaysia/2506/2004-like virus

A: Flu vaccination does reduce illness during the winter, and the illness can sometimes be very serious. In the UK, attitudes to flu are muddled by the fact that the vaccine is only offered free of charge to elderly or especially vulnerable people. In other countries, the situation is different. In the USA, for example, annual vaccination for healthy working adults is very much a routine: in 2004, many Americans travelled to Canada or the UK to be vaccinated there, because of a serious vaccine shortage in the US. Flu vaccination is widely regarded as an important health benefit. Key workers, highly paid staff, those working in direct contact with the general public or in public places, staff in large open plan offices (i.e. sharing the same air) and staff who simply have caring employers, are among those generally offered free vaccination in the workplace. While there is certainly a benefit to employers in helping staff stay healthy, don’t forget that flu vaccination protects your leisure time and your family as well, and not just your ability to work. Don’t forget, the flu season begins at Christmas, and ends around the Easter break.

A: The commonest symptoms are: rapid onset of fever, shivering, headache, muscle aches, and a cough. Flu causes a much more severe illness than the common cold: a cold doesn’t cause fever or muscle aches. People with flu can feel very ill indeed, often resulting in several days of being confined to bed. Most people recover easily, but would have much preferred to avoid the experience altogether, which is where flu vaccine comes in. For some victims, flu can cause more serious complications, like bronchitis and pneumonia - potentially life-threatening in the elderly, asthmatics and those with pre-existing medical conditions.

A: Only to the particular strain of flu that caused the infection. The virus changes over time, and new strains appear. Protection from past infection or previous vaccination is unreliable - the most effective way of increasing your protection is to be vaccinated every year.

A: The benefits of vaccination to healthy, working adults and their employers are well-established: vaccination cuts the risk of 'flu by approximately 70-80%, and reduces time off work from colds and flu by forty three per cent. Each winter, up to one third of British adults may suffer from flu, and one third of sufferers become ill enough to visit their doctor. For companies and organizations, the potential benefits are even greater than the benefits to the individual: respiratory viruses can spread easily within any large group of people, working together and sharing facilities on the same site. It is to everyone's advantage that as many people as possible within the same organization should be protected.

A: Flu vaccinations are 70-80% effective, provided that there is a good match between the strains used to make the vaccine, and the strains of flu that are going around. There are very sophisticated systems in place for monitoring strains of flu around the world, so it is increasingly possible to predict which strains are most likely to cause trouble. Protection is excellent against the strains from which the vaccine is made, and even if you catch the flu, the illness will almost certainly be milder than if you had not been vaccinated.

A: About 2-3 weeks.

A: The best time to be vaccinated is between late September and December, ready for the winter. If you wait until there is a flu epidemic in progress, it won’t otherwise be possible for you to get good protection quickly enough.

A: About 6-12 months. The vaccine protects against different strains, and the protection against some of the strains may last longer than others. Longer lasting flu vaccines are currently at a research stage.

A: Flu vaccines are very safe. The commonest problem after vaccination is slight soreness of the arm at the point where the injection was given; and less often, slight temperature and aching muscles can occur for a couple of days, but this responds easily to remedies like paracetamol. The risk of more serious reactions is extremely small - of the order of one in a million, or less; and considerably smaller than the risk of serious complications from the illness itself.

A: Flu vaccine cannot cause infection because it doesn't contain live virus.

A: Well-documented, severe allergy means that you should not be vaccinated. If you are uncertain, talk things over with your doctor, or with the doctor or nurse giving the vaccine.

A: There is no evidence that the vaccine would cause any harm to the foetus, but the vaccine is not usually given during the first three months of pregnancy unless the mother would be especially vulnerable to the complications of flu - if she suffered from asthma, for example. The vaccine is not generally given if you think you might be pregnant. If you are considering pregnancy in the coming months, it would be sensible to consider vaccination before you become pregnant. The vaccine can be used routinely after the 12th week of pregnancy.

A: Yes.

A: Please tell the doctor or nurse giving the vaccine about any important aspects of your medical history, and about any medication you are taking. Flu vaccine does not interact with any other vaccine or medication. However, any treatment that might reduce your immunity can reduce the effectiveness of the immune response. Vaccination can briefly affect the results of certain types of blood tests (serology tests), so if you have a blood test within a few days of being vaccinated, please ask the person taking the blood sample to mention your flu jab on the laboratory form.

A: It is generally considered sensible to avoid strenuous exercise for several hours after vaccination, but this is not an absolute rule: if you do go, take it easy.

A: : It is also considered sensible to avoid alcohol for several hours, but similarly this is not an absolute rule: if you must drink, drink moderately.

A: There’s no reason not to vaccinate children, though if they’ve not been vaccinated before they generally need a second dose 4 weeks after the first, for full effect. Children can be vaccinated from the age of six months.

A: Yes. There’s a higher risk of transmission of airborne respiratory infection during flights, and the vaccine will offer valuable protection. There have also been well-documented outbreaks of flu on cruise ships, so flu vaccination is a precaution that is well worth taking. If a new strain of flu ultimately leads to a pandemic, travelers with fevers and flu-like illnesses may well find that they become subject to quarantine measures. This is an important extra reason to do everything possible to avoid flu while the threat of a pandemic remains.

A: Past success in avoiding flu won't guarantee you'll be protected in future. It's up to you to choose between playing the odds and taking a positive step to protect yourself.

A: No. The flu vaccine does not contain live virus.

A: Yes.

A: The vaccine production process includes culture in embryonated hens' eggs. Only a trace of egg protein remains in the vaccine, but some strict vegetarians may object to this. If you have religious reasons for avoiding eggs, you should take appropriate religious advice.

A: If you have specific questions about you own medical history and circumstances, we'll do our best to help when you book in for an appointment. For general information, see our links page.

A: Flu vaccines are "killed" vaccines. The National Blood Service does not require any delay between vaccination and blood donation, for this category of vaccine, so there's no problem. The National Blood Service Helpline is 084577 711 711

A: From birth, babies? immune systems protect them from the germs that surround them. Without this protection, babies would not be able to cope with the tens of thousands of bacteria and viruses that cover their skin, nose, throat and intestines. Vaccines are designed to strengthen a baby?s immune system and protect them from very serious diseases. There is no evidence that any vaccine programme overloads a child?s immune system. In the US, where more vaccines are given in a single GP visit than in the UK, a study (Offit et al, 2002) found no difference in hospital admission in children who had had multiple immunisations compared with children who had had only polio vaccine. In theory, a baby could response safely and effectively to around 10,000 vaccines at any one time (Offit et al, 2002) . So a baby?s immune system can and does easily cope with the addition of additional doses of vaccine to the immunisation programme.