The Student Room Group
Be over 60 (65?)
Be an asthmatic, (sp?)
Have other long term health problems,
Work in healthcare,
Probably other categories, but those are some of them!
Reply 2
Isnt it too late to get a flu vaccine now?

And this is taken from the Department of Healths website.
May be something on www.nhs.uk - check it out.
Reply 3
There'll be very limited stocks of any flu vaccines, surely. Especially with the world going mad over the H5N1 Bird Flu outbreak.
Reply 4
anabelle
Can I get a flu vaccine on NHS?
What do I have to do?

Why do you want one? You can probably be allowed to pay for it if you ask your GP nicely.
Normal flu vaccines won't be of any use against the H5N1 virus though, so they won't be using it up protecting people from that.
Reply 6
Yeah... Unfortunately some people are naive, and in a panic, they feel desperate to get a flu vaccine.
There was a Watchdog on BBC a month or so ago showing people being conned into buying useless drugs to combat bird-flu from chinese herbal shops lol. The chinese herbalists were specifically telling constumers that the drugs they were selling would protect them fully from bird flu. Some people...*shakes head*
Reply 7
You know the OP never actually mentioned H5N1, maybe she just wants it because she doesnt want to risk getting flu during her studies or something.
I guess it depends on your situation as to whether its too late to get it now.. I had mine yesterday, but then i havent been exposed much over the past couple of months and will be as of next week when term starts back. I'm immunosuppressed by the way, so it was free.
Reply 9
Joe_87
You know the OP never actually mentioned H5N1, maybe she just wants it because she doesnt want to risk getting flu during her studies or something.


Yes. I'm in a very international hall (I'm international too). And I seem to be geting a flu every month or so... I'm trying to eat more fruit, but it doesn't help much...
And the last one really scared me because my whole body ached a lot. And I went to the doctor and she said it was nothing... I'm just geting tired of it.

Thanks for the replies. When (if) I have time I'll go to my GP and ask... Do you know how much it costs?
Reply 10
anabelle
Thanks for the replies. When (if) I have time I'll go to my GP and ask... Do you know how much it costs?

I think it costs about £20, it probably depends on you local health authority. But if you are getting sick because you are an international and aren't yet immune to our diseases, I don't think getting the flu jab will be much use to you.

For a start, the things you are picking up are probably just colds as opposed to actual influenza, and the idea of the flu jab is to protect people from expected strains of flu that nobody will yet be immune to. In other words, you have just as much chance as anyone of catching the flu that the jab will protect you from, so you may as well save your money.

Also, I'm not sure how it works, but are you eligible for anything free on the NHS if you are from abroad?
Reply 11
Joe_87
I think it costs about £20, it probably depends on you local health authority. But if you are getting sick because you are an international and aren't yet immune to our diseases, I don't think getting the flu jab will be much use to you.

For a start, the things you are picking up are probably just colds as opposed to actual influenza, and the idea of the flu jab is to protect people from expected strains of flu that nobody will yet be immune to. In other words, you have just as much chance as anyone of catching the flu that the jab will protect you from, so you may as well save your money.

Also, I'm not sure how it works, but are you eligible for anything free on the NHS if you are from abroad?


Thanks. I'll think about it.

And yes, as an international student for a year or more, you are covered just as much as any other student.