October 3 2019
The 180 members of staff at Peninsula NHS Treatment Centre – both clinical and administrative – have all been offered a free flu vaccination from the centre. They are encouraging all patients and visitors to get vaccinated before they visit the hospital to help make Peninsula a flu free zone.
“If you’re due for surgery it is safe to have your flu jab beforehand, provided it is at least two weeks before you are due to come to hospital,” said Sue Farrell, Head of Nursing and Clinical Services at Peninsula NHS Treatment Centre. It is also safe to have a flu vaccination after surgery, but the advice is to leave it for at least two weeks after discharge.
She added: “We are encouraging all our patients and visitors to be vaccinated before they visit us, and we have offered every single member of staff a free flu shot. This way, we aim to avoid flu throughout the busy winter period so that we avoid unnecessary cancellations of procedures.”
The care team at Peninsula NHS Treatment Centre advises people to take action if they experience the early signs of flu, which include a cough, sore throat, general aches and pains and a fever of above 38ºC. They also advise 7 things to do to fend off flu:
It is worth remembering that colds and flu are caused by viruses, so cannot be treated with antibiotics which are designed for bacterial infections.