Birmingham councillors roll up their sleeves to boost the city's low flu jab uptake

Birmingham's councillors have rolled up their sleeves for the flu jab, and they want everyone who is eligible to do the same. Councillors from wards across the city took up the offer of a free NHS flu vaccination this autumn, as part of a push to raise uptake in an area where vaccination rates are below the national average, Birmingham City Council said.

Around one in four people are at greater risk from flu, and colder weather usually brings more people to GP surgeries and hospitals with winter viruses that could have been avoided. Raising the number of people vaccinated helps protect those most at risk and takes pressure off local NHS services.

Leading by example

Councillor Nosheen Khalid, the council's Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, said: "We all have a part to play in keeping ourselves and our communities healthy this winter. Getting your flu immunisation when you're eligible is a simple step that can make a real difference, helping to protect you as well as those around you who may be more vulnerable."

She added: "I'm pleased to see my fellow councillors across Birmingham have taken up this offer of a free flu vaccination, and I'd encourage everyone else who is eligible to do the same."

Ian Sharp, a medical adviser at NHS Birmingham and Solihull and NHS Black Country integrated care boards, said councillors were trusted leaders in their communities. "Flu can have serious complications for those most vulnerable in our communities, and we know that our uptake isn't as good as it needs to be to ensure we are protecting as many people as possible," he said.

"Year after year we see huge numbers of people with flu attending our services, putting significant pressure on our GP practices, hospitals and community services. Vaccination remains our best protection."

Who can get a free flu jab

The free NHS flu vaccine is offered every autumn and winter to people at higher risk. This year that includes:

• everyone aged 65 and over, including those who will be 65 by 31 March 2027;
• people aged 18 to 64 with certain long-term health conditions;
• pregnant women, at any stage of pregnancy;
• people living in a care home;
• main carers for an older or disabled person, or people who receive carer's allowance;
• people who live with someone who has a weakened immune system;
• people aged 16 or over who are sleeping rough or staying in a homeless hostel or night shelter.

School-aged children are invited to have their vaccination through the school-aged immunisation service.

How to book

Eligible adults can book online or through the NHS App, contact their GP surgery, or go to a participating community pharmacy. Some people can also be vaccinated through their maternity service or care home, or through their employer if they are frontline health or social care workers.

For families who avoid pork products, the council notes that a version of the vaccine containing no pork products is available on request. That matters in a city as diverse as Birmingham, where the nasal spray offered to children contains porcine gelatine and has been a barrier for some families in the past.

Flu can be a serious and sometimes life-threatening illness, particularly for older people, pregnant women and those with long-term conditions. The vaccine takes around two weeks to give its full protection, so health leaders advise booking now, before the winter peak.