Flu vaccines should be an essential part of every workplace employee health programme. The global concern about the spread of Swine Influenza has led to prevention strategies which include the administration of seasonal Flu Vaccine.

Vaccination can offer 60-80% protection in normal healthy adults when the vaccine and epidemic strains are closely related. More important are the considerable reductions in the incidence of bronchopneumonia, admissions to hospital and death in the elderly following vaccination.

Influenza is caused by a number of different viruses classified by structure as Influenza A, B or C.

• Influenza A is responsible for worldwide epidemics or pandemics of morbidity and mortality in both adults and children

• Type B influenza causes less extensive epidemics of disease

• Type C rarely causes epidemic disease

The influenza virus has the ability to undergo major antigenic changes called “shifts”. These usually occur at intervals of 10 years or more and result in serious epidemics with pandemic spread. Minor changes called “drifts” can also occur each year which result in new strains.

Influenza remains a serious and debilitating disease that is often underrated. Additional deaths above the normal winter increase are recorded regularly in association with influenza epidemics.

Each year the World Health Organisation (WHO) puts forward it recommendations for the composition of influenza virus for us in the Southern Hemisphere influenza season. The WHO has recommended that trivalent vaccines for use in the 2016 influenza season (Southern Hemisphere winter) contain the following:

•A (H1N1): an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1) – like virus

•A (H3N2): an A/Hong Kong/4801/2014 (H3N2) like virus

•B/Brisbane/60/2008 like virus

Annual immunisation is required for two important reasons:

1. Protection lessens over time

2. Influenza can be caused by difference strains of influenza that are not always included in the previous year’s vaccination

• All healthy employees

• Pregnant women can be vaccinated (The World Health Organisation recommends influenza vaccinations for pregnant women regardless of any trimester and that they are given the highest priority.)

If you have a history of anaphylaxis to a previous dose or any constituent of the vaccine

If you are acutely unwell with a fever or other systemic illness

If you are allergic to egg products you should go to your general practitioner for your vaccination.

Vaccinations should be given at the beginning of winter (or as soon as vaccines are available), generally March/April of each year. or if you are going overseas to a winter conditions.

The influenza vaccine can be giving to a breast feeding women, protecting the mother can help prevent her becoming infected and transmitting influenza to her baby. There is no evidence that breastfeeding protects against influenza

No. the vaccine has been made from influenza virus that has been concentrated, inactivated, then broken apart. Immunisation cannot cause influenza as the vaccine does not contain any live viruses.

It takes up to 2 weeks for the vaccine to start providing the protection. Some studies have observed protective levels of antibodies developing as early as 4-6 days.

Effectiveness can be reduced by the difference between circulating virus strains and vaccine strains. The influenza virus keeps changing and new vaccines are formulated for each northern and southern hemisphere season. There may be some cross protection against an influenza virus not in the vaccine.

Effectiveness can be reduced by the difference between circulating virus strains and vaccine strains. The influenza virus keeps changing and new vaccines are formulated for each northern and southern hemisphere season. There may be some cross protection against an influenza virus not in the vaccine.