- 27/08/2019
- Posted by: Mike Hedges MS
- Category: Press Releases
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MIKE HEDGES URGES PEOPLE TO PLAN FOR THEIR WINTER FLU VACINATIONS EARLY!
Speaking after meeting with representatives of Sanofi Pasteur, manufacturers of Flu Vaccines, Swansea East AM, Mike Hedges said… I had a very interesting meeting with the team from Sanofi; they had some very interesting stats about how Swansea people do not attend for their Flu vaccines and Swansea has below average take up across a number of high risk patient categories. I would urge everyone to consider getting the flu vaccine, especially if they are in a high risk category. The vaccine is safe and painless ( I can vouch for that!). Please go along to and get vaccinated!
Flu Vaccine information
1) 2018/19 FLU VACCINATION COVERAGE RATES FOR SWANSEA LOCAL AUTHORITY .
• Over-65s: 67.2% (1.1% below the average for Wales)
• 6 months-under 65 at risk: 43.0% – (1.1% below the average for Wales)
• Pregnant Women: 44.7% (1.9% below the average for Wales)
• Carers: 45.1% (4% below the average for Wales)
2) THE VALUE OF VACCINATION
– Today, alongside clean, safe drinking water, immunisation is the most successful public health intervention for combating infectious diseases and reducing global mortality.
– The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that vaccination saves up to three million lives across the globe every year .
– The influenza vaccination helps protect the majority of people who receive it .
– This is important because people with long-term conditions such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease are more at risk of getting serious complications from influenza including bronchitis, pneumonia and even death .
– Influenza vaccination is especially important for people at higher risk of serious complications from influenza, and for people who live with or care for at-risk individuals .
– Winter influenza outbreaks put the NHS under unnecessary pressure from vaccine-preventable illness.
– The 2017-2018 the Welsh CMO’s report stated that 2017-18 saw the highest numbers of influenza cases diagnosed in general practices and hospitals since the 2009 pandemic. 88 outbreaks of acute respiratory illness were reported across hospitals and care homes.
– Sanofi Pasteur research using NHS data from the UK found that, from 2013-2018, the impact of influenza in patients with diabetes, chronic heart disease and chronic respiratory disease was over £510 million for secondary care alone.