Influenza (Flu)
Flu occurs every year, usually in the winter, which is why it’s sometimes called seasonal flu. It’s a highly infectious disease with symptoms that come on very quickly.
Flu can affect anyone, but some people are more susceptible to the effects of flu. For them, it can increase the risk of developing more serious illnesses such as bronchitis and pneumonia, or can make existing conditions worse. In the worst cases, flu can result in a stay in hospital, or even death. The flu vaccination helps to prevent these risk to health.
Isle of Man flu vaccination programme 2023 – 24
Those who are eligible for this year's Isle of Man flu programme include:
- those aged 65 years or over
- those aged 6 months to under 65 years in clinical risk groups (as defined in the Green Book Chapter 11)
- children aged 2 – 3 years on 31 August 2023 of a certain age
- primary school aged children (Reception to Year 6)
- secondary school aged children in years 7 - 11
- those living in a residential or nursing home
- the main carer of an older or disabled person
- a frontline health or social care worker
- pregnant women, see below
The leaflets and guidance documents below provide more detailed information on the Isle of Man flu vaccination programme. More will be added as the information becomes available. Some documents have been adapted for local use by Manx Care with kind permission from the UK Health Security Agency.
View the sections below with information for the public and information for professionals.
For the public
Guidance
Guidance: The flu vaccination: who should have it and why?
7 November 2023
School Programmes
Guidance for parents and carers
School Years 7-11 years
Protect yourself against flu – information for those in secondary school
4 July 2023
Translations into other Languages
Translated copies of some of the above leaflets are available in these languages English, English large print, Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Brazilian Portuguese, Bulgarian, Chinese, Estonian, Farsi, Greek, Gujarati, Hindi, Latvian, Lithuanian, Panjabi, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Turkish, Twi, Ukrainian and Urdu.
Disclaimer: The contents of these translated documents may differ slightly from local literature produced to support the Isle of Man COVID-19 Vaccination Programme.
Flu vaccination for children: leaflets and posters (gov.uk)
British Sign Language Video Resources
Flu vaccination for children: leaflets and posters (gov.uk)
About the vaccines
Flu vaccines available for the 2023 – 24 season
25 May 2023
Flu vaccines marketed in the UK 2023 – 24 season
March 2023
Patient Information Leaflet (PIL): Adjuvanted Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine (aQIV)
June 2023
Patient Information Leaflet (PIL): Cell-based Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine (cQIV)
July 2023
For professionals
Guidance for schools
Flu vaccination programme 2023 to 2024: briefing for primary schools
7 July 2023
Posters for print and display
Poster: flu 5 reasons to vaccinate your child (PDF)
18 August 2021
Poster: flu 5 reasons to have the vaccine (PDF)
18 August 2021
Green book chapters
Green Book Chapter 19: Influenza - Immunisation against infectious disease (gov.uk)
September 2022
Contraindications and Special Considerations - Chapter 6 (gov.uk)
26 October 2017