Flu fighters urged to roll up their sleeves

5 Dec 2016 03:35 PM

The Chief Nursing Officer for England has yesterday called on NHS staff to back the week-long #jabathonflu campaign.

Professor Jane Cummings explained that as well as protecting themselves against flu, NHS staff would also be helping to protect the patients they come into contact with on a daily basis against the potentially deadly virus.

Led by NHS Employers, #jabathon aims to drive up the number of healthcare staff who have the flu vaccination this winter.

Writing in a blog yesterday Professor Cummings explained that last winter, 2014-15, around 541,000 frontline healthcare staff were vaccinated – that’s just over half of front line staff.

“While this is a great number, we should all aim to protect ourselves and others from the virus, she added. “Flu is a serious illness that can lead to death, and with up to one in four healthcare workers at risk of becoming infected with flu, it’s really important that staff protect themselves.”

Staff are being encouraged to join in #jabathon by sharing why they’ve had their jab and to nominate two colleagues on twitter.

Yesterday’s campaign launch was marked by a staff at Leeds Teaching Hospital getting their vaccinations throughout the day aboard a branded flu fighter bus. And phone boxes around hospital sites in Exeter, Manchester, Leeds, London and Birmingham will have posters encouraging patients to ask NHS staff if they’ve had their jab.

As well as Jane Cummings, NHS England’s National Medical Director Sir Bruce Keogh and Jenni Middleton, Editor Nursing Times, are also supporting the campaign.