Flu
Last Updated: Thursday, 01 October 2026Please watch the below video from Dr Ball about the flu vaccination or read the video transcript below.
Hello. My name is Dr Emily Ball and this video is to inform you about the flu vaccine.
It is important to ensure that you have the relevant information to make a decision about whether or not this vaccination is right for you.
Influenza has the potential to be a very serious, and even life threatening, illness. With this in mind, the NHS offers an annual vaccination to those patients most at risk of becoming gravely ill as a result of influenza, or being unable to attend to vital duties due to the illness.
If you are watching this video, you have been identified as belonging to one of these groups.
You can have the flu vaccine at the same time as most other common vaccines: such as COVID-19, the pneumococcal vaccine, or the shingles vaccine. It is NOT recommended to have it at the same time as the RSV vaccine however.
You cannot have the flu vaccine if you have previously had an allergic reaction to it, or to one of its ingredients. Crucially, this includes egg protein, so please let us know if this affects you.
If you currently have a temperature, or are too unwell to manage your usual activities of daily life, please wait until you are better to be vaccinated.
Most common side effects associated with the vaccine are short lived, getting better in 1-2 days.
These include: Pain or aching at the site, stiffness, or a mild temperature.
Serious side effects to the vaccine are very rare.
Please note: the influenza strains injected as part of the vaccines are NOT live – you cannot catch flu from the vaccination.
The injection contains the strains of flu which are common for this year. This means you can still catch flu if exposed to a different strain, but it should be milder. This is why it is important to be vaccinated annually.
If you have any further questions prior to receiving your vaccine, please speak to a member of staff.
Thank you.