Health / Earlier start to flu season
THE FLU season appears to have started in Shetland earlier than usual, as confirmed cases continue to rise across the country.
NHS Shetland’s director of public health Dr Susan Laidlaw said there has been a small number of local laboratory-confirmed cases in November.
She said the first cases do not usually come until December.
“This reflects the experience in the rest of the UK, where the flu season has started earlier this year,” Dr Laidlaw said.
“However, it’s important to note that the majority of people with flu-like symptoms will not have a laboratory test.
“We generally only test people who have respiratory symptoms at the hospital and care homes, so the numbers of confirmed cases are only an indicator of the wider spread in the community.”
She said the Shetland community can help to reduce the spread of flu and help protect vulnerable people from severe illness by:
- Getting their flu vaccination if they are in a group recommended to have it
- Staying at home if they are unwell, especially if they have a fever and respiratory symptoms
- Using good hygiene, including handwashing and cough etiquette (coughing and sneezing into a disposable tissue, disposing of the tissue in a bin and washing hands afterwards)
- Not visiting people in hospital and care homes if unwell with flu-like symptoms (or gastrointestinal symptoms)
Meanwhile reminder letters, emails and texts are being sent out to people who are eligible for a flu vaccine but who have not yet had an appointment.
Folk are asked to check for texts and emails, which may go into their junk mailbox.
NHS Shetland added that “if you have friends or relatives that may need help accessing emails or texts, please support them with this”.
People will be sent instructions on how to book an appointment online, and anyone with issues with this can contact NHS Shetland.
People registered at the Hillswick, Yell, Unst and Whalsay health centres should already have been contacted by their practice.
Drop-in vaccination clinics at Grantfield vaccination centre in Lerwick are open most days until mid-December:
- Monday 8 December between 10am and 12pm
- Tuesday 9 December between 10am and 12pm
- Wednesday 10 December between 10am and 12pm or 2pm and 4pm
- Thursday 11 December between 10am and 12pm
- Friday 12 December between 10am and 12pm or 2.30pm and 4pm
- Monday 15 December between 10am and 12pm or 2pm and 4pm
Anyone with questions can contact the vaccination team on 01595 743319 or email shet.vaccination-team@nhs.scot.
More information on flu can be found on the NHS Inform website.
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