Damian Hinds MP: Getting your flu jab could save a life

Damian Hinds MP: Getting Your Flu Jab Could Save a Life

As colder months approach, posters appear in GP surgeries and pharmacies urging people to get their flu jab. Each year, the NHS runs a major campaign to encourage protection against seasonal flu and, more recently, Covid-19.

For some individuals, these illnesses can lead to serious complications and hospitalisation, adding strain to NHS services already stretched in winter.

Vaccination Rates in Hampshire

Hampshire’s vaccination rates among older adults surpass the national average, with over 65% of those aged 65 and above receiving the flu vaccine. However, uptake among younger children remains below expectations.

Just under 60% of Hampshire children aged two to three have had their flu vaccine.
This falls short of the World Health Organization’s 75% target.

Children under five have some of the highest hospital admission rates for flu. Since early October, parents can have their two- and three-year-olds vaccinated at community pharmacies, a step that may improve vaccination rates this year.

The Importance of Vaccination

Vaccination is one of modern medicine’s greatest public health achievements, saving lives daily and preventing the spread of infectious diseases worldwide. The UK has been a global leader in this field.

Measles, however, serves as a harsh reminder that progress can be reversed.

Once considered eliminated in England, with no reported cases in 2018, measles has returned. By 2021, England lost its ‘measles elimination status’, with outbreaks spreading nationally.

Summary

Getting a flu jab protects vulnerable groups and supports NHS capacity, while vaccination remains essential to prevent the return of diseases like measles despite past successes.

Farnham Herald — 2025-11-09