Please read before having your vaccination

You must tell the nurse if you have had a confirmed anaphylactic reaction to a previous dose of the vaccine or have a severe allergy to egg.

If you are suffering an acute severe illness then it is not advised to receive your flu vaccination today. Mild illness will be assessed by the nurse.

If you are taking Warfarin, are currently stable and up to date with scheduled INR testing and your latest INR was below the upper threshold of your therapeutic range, you can receive an intramuscular vaccination. If in doubt discuss it with the nurse prior to you vaccination.

Very Common side effects can include headache, muscular pain, tenderness at the injection site and fatigue. (affects 1 or more people in 100).

Common side effects nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting, sweating, joint pain, fever and generally feeling unwell (malaise). A small painless nodule (induration) may also form at the injection site. (affects 1-10 people in 100).

These symptoms usually disappear within 1 to 2 days without treatment. For more severe reactions seek medical attention.

In Rare cases more serious side effects may occur. These include anaphylaxis, angioedema, skin reactions, neuralgia, thrombocytopenia, swelling of the glands and neurological conditions including encephalomyelitis, neuritis and Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

Be reassured that the inactivated vaccine cannot cause influenza. Lots of the common side effects from the vaccine have similar symptoms to influenza.

The vaccine will not start to provide protection for about 14 days and does not protect against other respiratory viruses that often circulate during the flu season.

If you would like to discuss any of the information above please do so before receiving the vaccination.