The Travel Clinic,Cambridge and Ipswich, advises:
Get the vaccine well before you travel. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against the flu. A flu vaccine is required every year because flu viruses are constantly changing. The flu vaccine is formulated each year to keep up with these changes.
Airport hubs such as Schipol or Heathrow have thousands of people travelling through them each day, so protect yourself!
Most cases in the UK tend to occur during an eight- to ten-week period during the winter, however travellers to other countries are at similar risk of infection to the local residents during their influenza season. Travellers who are likely to be exposed to very crowded conditions which encourage the spread of infection (e.g. aircraft, cruise ships, waiting rooms, those attending large gatherings, festivals and major sporting events) should consider the influenza vaccine – upon a personal risk assessment.
The most at risk groups who are more likely to have complications of influenza include pregnant women, or those likely to be at high risk of exposure and in 'crucial care' roles such as nurses, doctors and carers.
There are three types of influenza virus A, B and C.
Influenza A and influenza B are responsible for most clinical illness. Influenza is highly infectious with a usual incubation period of one to three days. The disease is characterised by the sudden onset of fever, chills, headache, myalgia and extreme fatigue. Other common symptoms include a dry cough, sore throat and stuffy nose. For otherwise healthy individuals, influenza is an unpleasant but usually self-limiting disease with recovery usually within two to seven days.
The illness may be complicated by (and may present as) bronchitis, secondary bacterial pneumonia or, in children, otitis media. Influenza can be complicated more unusually by meningitis, encephalitis or meningoencephalitis.
The risk of serious illness from influenza is higher among children under six months of age, older people and those with underlying health conditions such as respiratory or cardiac disease and chronic neurological conditions.
The timing, extent and severity of this ‘seasonal’ influenza can all vary. Influenza A viruses cause outbreaks most years and it is these viruses that are the usual cause of epidemics
The influenza vaccination is available at both our Cambridge & Ipswich clinics at a cost of £20.00 per dose.
(Children not previously immunised will need 2 injections - with a month apart)
Please inform us if you have had another live vaccination recently.
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