Wakefield public urged to get flu and Covid booster jabs by NHS

Those over 50, pregnant women and people with certain underlying health conditions are all eligible for a free flu vaccine.

Frontline health and social care workers and people in long-term residential care are also entitled to it.

Covid booster jabs are also on offer to those who had their second dose six months ago.

Wakefield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which oversees local NHS services, said it was important people were adequately protected against viruses this winter.

Speaking at a health scrutiny meeting on Thursday, Ruth Unwin from the CCG said: "It's important for the public to know that if you are eligible for a flu vaccine or a Covid booster jab, come forward and get it.

"If you've turned it down previously and you've now changed your mind, the offer's still open. It won't go away."

Speaking to councillors directly, she added: "There has been lower uptake in some of the communities you represent, so it's really important that message gets out there."

Mrs Unwin said the NHS was preparing for winter as best it could, but there were a number of "unknowns" to the process.

She said much of the preparation work was based on "predictions" rather than precedents from last winter, when Covid was lethally spreading amongst an unvaccinated population and multiple lockdowns were in place.

Local Democracy Reporting Service