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Record number of flu jabs given to West Mid staff

A record number of staff at West Middlesex University Hospital have taken up the seasonal influenza injection this year.

Nearly 500 vaccinations have been administered at drop-in clinics around the hospital, compared with 150 this time last year.

The vaccinations provide protection against three strains of flu, including swine flu.

It’s hoped that the success of the vaccination programme will help protect patients and visitors to the hospital from the flu virus, and reduce staff sickness over the busy winter period.

The Occupational Health & Wellbeing Department has arranged drop-in clinics around the hospital as well as ‘walk around’ clinics where a nurse has gone to busy departments to provide the jab to staff who might struggle to take a break from their duties.

Staff throughout the hospital have also helped to promote the jabs by agreeing to be photographed and quoted on why they feel the vaccination is worthwhile.

Staff Nurse Boijor Gmah from Feltham works in the Hospital’s Critical Care Unit (pictured above receiving her vaccination from Occupational Health & Wellbeing Department Treatment Room Nurse Louise Blackledge).

She explained: “I’ve been having the flu jab for the last five years – before that I used to get the flu quite a lot. I think it’s important to have the jab as a preventative measure. If I caught the flu I could infect patients and other people, and it would also affect staffing levels if I had to go off sick.”

Anna Marie Mitchell, Occupational Health & Wellbeing Manager, said: “Trust staff are realising the importance of protecting themselves, their patients and their families from flu. This year we have had a robust plan of publicity around the flu vaccination programme which has worked well to encourage a high uptake.”

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Notes to Editors:

For information please contact the media team on 020 8321 6342.

Flu (also known as influenza) is a highly infectious illness caused by the flu virus. It spreads rapidly through small droplets coughed or sneezed into the air by an infected person.

Click here for more information about flu and the flu vaccination

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