Flu ad campaign dusted off as cases rise
pharmafile | January 5, 2011 | News story | Medical Communications | NHS, UK, disease awareness, flu, influenza
The Department of Health this week relaunched its advertising campaign to remind people of the importance of good hand and mouth hygiene in combating seasonal flu.
Health secretary Andrew Lansley shrugged off criticism that he reacted too late to the flu season and has been forced to reinstate the old ‘Catch it, Bin it, Kill it’ radio and press campaign as cases rise.
However, the number of people in critical care beds with suspected or confirmed flu has now reached 738 – 42 of whom are under five years old.
And figures from the World Health Organization suggest Britain’s incidence of flu-type illnesses has risen more quickly than in the rest of Europe.
Flu vaccine manufacturers such as GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Sanofi-Pasteur and Baxter will be watching the situation with interest: there have been claims that some doctors’ surgeries are experiencing shortages but the government has denied that there is a problem.
“To help ease pressures on the NHS I want to remind people what we can all do to prevent the spread of flu,” Lansley explained. “I urge everyone in an at risk group who hasn’t been vaccinated to contact their GP and book an appointment.”
He added that the “second line of defence” is “to cover our nose and mouth when we sneeze, put tissues in the bin and wash our hands regularly. That’s why we’re re-launching the Catch it, Bin it, Kill it campaign”.
In last winter’s flu season, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) deemed all children under five to be “at risk” – but this year there is no recommendation to give healthy youngsters the jab.
Interim chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies has asked the JCVI to look at new data “and reassure us that our policy on vaccination is correct”.
People in at risk groups – pregnant women, the over-65s, people in nursing homes or the main carers for an older or disabled person – should already have been contacted by their GP.
Free flu jabs are also recommended for people with heart, chest or respiratory problems, diabetes, kidney or liver disease and lowered immunity from treatment for diseases such as cancer.
Stroke sufferers and those with a neurological condition such as multiple sclerosis or cerebral palsy should also be vaccinated, the government advises.
Adam Hill
Related Content
A community-first future: which pathways will get us there?
In the final Gateway to Local Adoption article of 2025, Visions4Health caught up with Julian …
Von Willebrand disease – increasing awareness and access to vital care
Pharmafile talks to Anthea Cherednichenko, Vice President Franchise Head Haematology and Transplant at Takeda about …
The Pharma Files: with Dr Ewen Cameron, Chief Executive of West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
Pharmafile chats with Dr Ewen Cameron, Chief Executive of West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, about …
