Flu is not the same as a common cold, and is a highly infectious disease which can lead to serious complications if you have a long-term health condition such as COPD, bronchitis, emphysema, diabetes, heart, kidney or liver disease or have suffered a stroke.

Flu on top of health conditions like these can easily develop into something very serious and could land you in hospital. People with these and other long-term health conditions are eligible for a free flu jab through their GP or pharmacist.

Pregnant women and children

Pregnant women, children aged two and three as well as school children from reception class through to year four to five are also eligible for the free flu vaccine. For eligible children, the flu vaccine is not an injection, just a quick nasal spray.

Flu can be horrible for little children, and if they get it, they can spread it around the whole family. Children who get the flu have the same symptoms as adults - including fever, chills, aching muscles, headache, stuffy nose, dry cough and sore throat. Some children develop a very high fever or complications of flu, such as bronchitis or pneumonia and may need hospital treatment. The flu vaccine can help protect your child from flu and also reduce the chance of flu spreading to others.

If you have a child aged two or three, get them vaccinated against flu with the free nasal spray flu vaccine from your GP. School children from reception class through to year four will get their vaccinations through their school.

Pregnancy naturally weakens the body's immune system and as flu can cause serious complications for you and your baby, pregnant women who get the flu may be less able to fight off infections, increasing the risk of becoming ill. The flu jab is the safest way to protect you and your baby against flu and you can have it at any stage of pregnancy, however fit and healthy you might feel.

Free flu vaccine

If you are eligible for the flu vaccine, get it now - it's free because you need it. Contact your GP, pharmacist or midwife to the get the flu jab.

Find out more about the free flu vaccine on the NHS website

'Stay well by getting a free flu jab'

Councillor Averil Lekau, Cabinet Member for Adult's Social Care, Health and Anti-Poverty, said: "The Royal Borough of Greenwich in partnership with the Greenwich CCG, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and Lewisham and Greenwich Trust, are encouraging everyone in the borough who knows someone who may be 'at risk' from flu to tell them how important it is that they get protected. 

"Residents in our borough with long-term health conditions, pregnant women and children up to the age of ten can stay well by getting a free flu jab through their GP or pharmacist."