Fear of the ‘Man Flu’ may be more real than we think, with new research showing that – of those planning to take the flu jab this year – more men than women will take the treatment.
- The coverage isn’t as high as it should be, with 1 in 10 still unsure whether they are eligible for the free flu jab this year, and 13% of the nation who are eligible for the jab saying they are not planning on getting it.
- In total, over half (58%) of UK adults either aren’t planning to get the jab this winter or are unsure. This could leave millions unprotected, particularly those who are vulnerable.
- Many turn the jab down because they incorrectly believe it would make them sick or that it would have zero impact on their health.
- You should have the flu vaccination every year so that you stay protected. The virus that causes flu can change every year, so this winter’s flu will be different from last year’s, and for some it can lead to very serious health complications causing 4,700 deaths in England each year.
Flu Facts
More men (43%) than women (30%) will be getting a flu jab this year
How easy is it to catch the flu?
- The flu is highly contagious and people with flu can spread it to others up to about 6 feet away from them
- You are contagious for up to 40 hours before starting to show symptoms of the flu, so depending on how many people you come in to contact with, you could pass the virus on to other people, including those more vulnerable than yourself
- *Children and people with weaker immune systems may remain infectious for longer *source http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Flu/Pages/Introduction.aspx
- Each time a person sneezes they spread millions of flu viruses around and only 30-50 of these are needed to make a person poorly
- Just one person with flu can cause nearly 16,500 people to become infected with the virus within 2 weeks. This is enough to fill over 189 double decker buses!
- The Department of Health (DoH) says around 4,700 people die every year in England, after getting flu.
