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.
Those who should consider having a flu vaccination
All those who have any condition listed above, or who are:
- aged 65 years or over
- living in a residential or nursing home
- the main carer of an older or disabled person
- a frontline health or social care worker
- pregnant, see below
- children of a certain age
Those aged 50 to 64 years old will also be offered flu vaccination this year.
For full details see: The flu vaccination: who should have it and why?
Manx Care is pleased to offer the childhood flu vaccine to children aged 2-3 years through their GP and to school children from Reception through to Year 6. This year, the programme is also being extended, to
include all secondary school aged children years 7 to 11.
The leaflets and guidance documents below provide more detailed information on the Isle of Man flu vaccination programme. Some documents have been adapted for local use by Public Health Isle of Man with kind permission from Public Health England.
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?
22 July 2021
School Programmes
Guidance for parents and carers
Protect your child against flu - information for parents and carers of preschool and primary school aged children
18 August 2021
School Years 7-11 years
Protect yourself against flu - Information for those in school years 7 to 11
18 August 2021
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)
Flu vaccination for adults (gov.uk)
British Sign Language Video Resources
Flu vaccination for children: leaflets and posters (gov.uk)
Flu vaccination for adults (gov.uk)
Easy read guides
Easy-read guides providing information on influenza (flu) and vaccination (gov.uk)
Patient Information Leaflets (PIL)
Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine (QIV) Patient information Leaflet (PIL)
10 August 2021
Fluenz Tetra nasal spray suspension influenza vaccine (LAIV) Patient Information Leaflet (PIL)
28 July 2021
For professionals
Guidance for healthcare professionals
Flu vaccination programme: information for health practitioners (gov.uk)
13 August 2021
Immunising preschool children against flu - Information for practitioners working in early years settings
22 July 2021
Guidance for schools
Programme briefing for schools
29 July 2021
Frontline flu for healthcare workers
Letter: Frontline health and care staff COVID-19 booster and flu vaccination
16 September 2021
Posters for print and display
Poster: Flu Vaccines 2020 to 2021 Season (PDF)
10 August 2021
Poster: Which vaccine should children have? (PDF)
September 2020
Poster: flu 5 reasons to vaccinate your child (PDF)
18 August 2021
Poster: flu 5 reasons to have the vaccine (PDF)
18 August 2021
Training
eLearn Vannin - Government employees
Flu immunisation training recommendations (gov.uk)
Green book chapters
Green Book Chapter 19: Influenza - Immunisation against infectious disease (gov.uk)
29 October 2020
Contraindications and Special Considerations - Chapter 6 (gov.uk)
26 October 2017