Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[LinekersLegs]

You are absolutely hounded to have it if you work in the NHS because it comes with a lot of funding!

Happened to have my regular doctor checkup last year the same week as the flu vaccine was being rolled out at our local medical office. Honestly wondered if my doc was going to lock me in the office until I agreed to have one so insistent was she lol

 

[Neiler]

That figure really surprises me, especially given it is healthcare workers.

Agreed mate its shockingly bad, i know people who just dont bother. Whats worse is we had a shockingly bad flu outbreak in Jan 2018, really horrific, it was one of the worst experiences ive had in healthcare (before this) and i thought i had seen it all.

It varies from hospital to hospital to be honest, our place was well over 60% compliance this year, but its sometimes about its roll out by the individual health care setting. Before our outbreak it was our single Oc Heath Nurse who would give the vaccine and there was no real push to get it done. We did a root cause analysis and lessons learned after our outbreak and many of our practices around promoting compliance had slipped into complacency and we had bad habits and practices in educating around it.

After our outbreak getting the vaccine was pushed hard, Oc Health went full time during the season with more staff, nurses on individual wards were nominated to be the ones to give it in their local area for ease of access for staff and daily clinics were advertised well before time and run daily throughout the season also accommodating those on shifts. The hospital also gave free vouchers for a coffee and bun when you go it done.

Like Roydo was saying though sometimes there is just a complacency around flu, even in health care sometimes, people lack proper education, or token efforts are made or bad habits developed or people just convince themselves they are "to busy", it can be shockingly bad.

 

[peteblue]

I’m wondering if how seasonal flu is treated is going to change this year?

Here in the US the flu jab is advised for everyone, at least in my experience you can’t go to the doctor past August without it being strongly encouraged. https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/pages/immunization/influenza.aspx
Some of that might be financial (not sure what $ the doctors get) but it is free to most patients under health plans and has the twin goals of reducing individual risk and to try to stop the spread to the most vulnerabl/those who can’t get the jab. I’d hope that there is a even more obvious public campaign to increase uptake given those worries about dual covid/seasonal flu.

As I understand it for the NHS and Ireland it is only the over 65s and at risk that get it free - is that correct?

My wife and I get the flu jab every year and have done ever since being advised to do so. It’s all well organised at the local GP with 5 minute slots for each patient......

 

[Neiler]

I get offered the vaccine every year and I’ve never taken them up on it , in line with what you’re saying I suspect I will this year .

You should mate, i wouldn't be without myself.

It has the added advantage of you getting to be all smug when someone else gets the flu! lol

 

[Jebus_lives]

As mad as it sounds, flu is just not considered that much of an issue for the NHS.

Like you say, this coming winter could change that.

It's considered an inevitable response and part of the fabric of healthcare, but I'm not sure it's not considered much of an issue. There is an awful lot of activity and effort that goes into managing flu activities in the NHS every year.

It's maybe taken a bit for granted.

 

[peteblue]

I get offered the vaccine every year and I’ve never taken them up on it , in line with what you’re saying I suspect I will this year .

You would if they called it the Fru jab.....

 

[roydo]

It's considered an inevitable response and part of the fabric of healthcare, but I'm not sure it's not considered much of an issue. There is an awful lot of activity and effort that goes into managing flu activities in the NHS every year.

It's maybe taken a bit for granted.

I meant amongst the general population more so. Its not on many folks mind, ergo, dont think the NHS are that arsed neither.

 

[Jebus_lives]

I get offered the vaccine every year and I’ve never taken them up on it , in line with what you’re saying I suspect I will this year .

Bizarrely I think only about 75% of NHS staff have it.

 

[peteblue]

It's considered an inevitable response and part of the fabric of healthcare, but I'm not sure it's not considered much of an issue. There is an awful lot of activity and effort that goes into managing flu activities in the NHS every year.

It's maybe taken a bit for granted.

Indeed. It‘s all well organised and goes like clockwork....Almost as if they planned it.....

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I think he made a mistake by caving into the media pressure for an arbitrary testing target, but he's right in highlighting just how many people have been working to improve the country's testing infrastructure. When people have a pop, I suspect they have no idea whatsoever of the problems Hancock clearly states they've had, nor how these people have striven to overcome them, yet you're having a pop at them nonetheless.

 

[Jebus_lives]

I meant amongst the general population more so. Its not on many folks mind, ergo, dont think the NHS are that arsed neither.

The response to seasonal flu is months in the planning every year.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Bizarrely I think only about 75% of NHS staff have it.

It's wholly unscientific and anecdotal, but I was amazed how many of my wife's team refuse to have the vaccine because they don't believe in it. I wouldn't suggest that alone accounts for the entirety of those who don't have it, but given the profession they're in, it is perhaps a lot more than the general public might think.

 

[Brennan]

Bit confused about the comments around Flu not being an issue for the NHS or “going as planned”.

The winter months are a nightmare for many nurses and doctors, and safety standards are frequently missed due to the burden of patients with flu hitting wards not designed to look after them.

 

[Jebus_lives]

Indeed. It‘s all well organised and goes like clockwork....Almost as if they planned it.....

What a weird post

 

[roydo]

The response to seasonal flu is months in the planning every year.

Sure it is, but the point I was making is that folk havnt a clue.