Farron encourages 'At risk' patients to get a flu jab this winter

South Lakes MP Tim Farron this week visited the Helme Chase Pharmacy in Kendal to receive his flu jab to launch a campaign to encourage people who are either at risk, or who come into contact with at risk groups, to ensure they do the same to protect themselves and others against the harmful virus this winter.

The flu jab is offered free to people over 65, under-65s with serious long-term health problems, pregnant women and frontline health and social care staff. The vaccine changes every year to fight the latest strains of flu, so even if you had a jab last winter you need another one this year to stay protected. The jab doesn't contain the live virus so it cannot give you the flu.

The 2012/13 vaccine protects against three types of flu virus - H1N1, the strain of flu that caused the swine flu pandemic in 2009, H3N2, a strain of flu that can infect birds and mammals and was active in 2011 and a strain of flu that was active in 2010 known as B/Wisconsin/1.

Commenting Tim said: "Many people think flu is just a bad cold, but it is not. It can be a very serious illness for older people and others at risk andalso has the potential to develop into more serious illnesses like pneumonia and bronchitis. People like me whose work means that they spend a lot of time with people who are at risk, also need to be wary of the virus. I don't want to spread the illness to vulnerable constituents who I work alongside and so I decided that I should get the jab too.

"Pharmacies and surgeries across the South Lakes offer the flu jab this winter, which is completely safe and can't give you flu. It is so important that you make sure that anyone in your family who might be at risk has this jab as a precaution as it can ultimately save lives.