Free flu jabs for carers

Free flu jabs for carers

Flu season is here, and we are encouraging all Surrey's unpaid family and friend carers to get their free flu jab. Find out how to protect yourself and your loved ones below.

Free flu jabs for unpaid carers in Surrey

Flu season is upon us, and lasts till March, and Surrey’s unpaid carers are being encouraged to get their flu jab. These are free, and protect you as well as the person you care for.

The flu vaccine is offered every year on the NHS to help protect people at risk of getting seriously ill from flu as it’s the best protection against flu and its complications. The government recognise unpaid carers as a vulnerable group in need of protection and so include them the national vaccination programme.

Surrey Heartlands Health and Care Partnership, Surrey County Council and Frimley Health and Care have launched the Surrey Carers Flu Jab Voucher 2023.

Why it’s important

The flu and COVID viruses can be life threatening and have the potential to increase pressures faced by the NHS this winter, particularly if infection waves from both viruses coincide.

Getting your flu and COVID vaccines are two of the most important things you can do to keep yourself, the person you care for, and others around you safe this winter.

Surrey NHS therefore encourages all unpaid carers in Surrey to take up the offer of a free flu vaccination as a priority, not only to protect themselves and the people they care for, but to help reduce hospitalisations during a time that we expect will be especially busy for the NHS and social care. Try and get vaccinated as soon as you can.

Getting your Voucher

The NHS in Surrey provides Vouchers (both physical copies and electronic-vouchers) which we, Action for Carers help distribute.

If you’ve not yet received one, please get in touch, and we’ll send one out. If you’re not yet registered with us, we’ll ask you to register first, but it’s quick and easy (you can register yourself on line).

Call us on 0303 040 1234, email [email protected] or text on 07723 486730. We’ll then get your Voucher out to you.

We’re open 9am-5pm, Monday, Thursday and Friday, and 9am-6pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

(All our registered carers are sent a Voucher in autumn with our quarterly newsletter.)

You can also get a voucher from the following:

How to use the Voucher

If you are a carer looking after a friend or family member you can ask for a flu jab at your GP practice or at a pharmacy offering the NHS flu vaccine. The vouchers provide the assurance that you are known to carers services here in Surrey and are therefore entitled to a free vaccination.

COVID too

Pharmacies and GP practices may be able to offer the COVID vaccination at the same time as the flu vaccination – just ask them.

COVID vaccinations are also available to book via the National Booking Service.  You can simply state you’re an unpaid carer – you don’t need to provide any evidence.

It’s really important that carers look after themselves and take advantage of the free flu vaccine available to them. I would like to encourage all our Surrey carers to protect themselves and those they care for

Dr Sue Tresman, Independent Carers Lead Surrey Heartlands Health and Care Partnership

For younger carers

We can send Vouchers to any young carers aged 16 or older. Just get in touch.

Children in Surrey will get the flu vaccination at nursery/school (aged 3 up to aged 16). If you want to get it sooner than your school may have planned, go to your GP.

Make sure you are registered as a young carer, and ask for the nasal spray vaccine. Ensuring your GP knows you are a young carer gets you other help too – take a look at this GP leaflet for young carers.

Please note, this information is for unpaid, family/friend carers. If you are a paid care worker please contact your employer for details on how you can have a flu jab.

Register to fight flu!

Register with us to access your free flu jab voucher - and a whole range of other benefits to help you with your caring role.

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