Learner Update: Flu Season 2024

To help protect everyone in our adult learning community this Winter, please follow these simple rules:

1. Do not come to class if you are unwell for any reason.

The simplest way to protect others is to keep our distance until flu or cold symptoms have passed. If you are feeling unwell, please contact your tutor or our Business Support colleagues on freephone 0800 988 0308, to let us know you will not be attending. Your tutor will be in contact to help you catch-up on anything you have missed in class.

2. Follow good ‘sneeze etiquette’.

Not sure if that tickle in your nostrils is from dust, or an impending cold? Better to be safe than sorry, so wash your hands regularly with soap and water, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, and bin used tissues as soon as possible. No tissue on hand? Try to sneeze or cough into the crook of your elbow… it’s the only time you will be actively encouraged to wipe your nose on your sleeve!

3. Vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate!

If you are eligible for the flu and/or covid vaccinations under the FREE NHS winter vaccination programme, then we encourage you to take advantage of this offer to help keep you and those around you safe. You will be eligible for FREE flu vaccine if:

• are aged 65 or over (including those who will be 65 by 31 March 2025)
• have certain long-term health conditions
• are pregnant
• live in a care home
• are the main carer for an older or disabled person, or receive a carer’s allowance
• live with someone who has a weakened immune system

Remember: not everyone is eligible to have a free flu vaccine, and there are some who cannot have it for health reasons. You can purchase flu vaccines from many primacies with the cost ranging from roughly £10 to £20. If you are unsure if you are eligible for the free vaccine, or if you have any questions, your local pharmacist will be able to advise you.

For more information on how to spot the signs of flu and take care of yourself if you have got it, visit the NHS’s Flu advice page online. For more advice on the vaccine itself, including more details on eligibility, visit the NHS’s flu vaccine pages online.

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