Flu Jab 2019: Are You Eligible For A Free Flu Jab? Must You Pay For It?

Flu jab 2019 - are you eligible for a free vaccine Silviarita - Pixabay

Now that the flu season has started, everybody may be wondering how to get the flu jab to thwart the nasty flu virus. One common question many ask is whether they would be getting the vaccine for free or if they need to pay for it? How much does a flu jab cost?

As per the health institution NHS, the period between October and November is considered as the ideal time to get a flu jab. This is early protection against the peak season of the flu virus, which is from December to January.

Now to answer the biggest question, can you get the flu jab for free? Below are the individuals who can readily have the vaccine without paying for it.
1. Elderly aged 65 or over
2. Pregnant
3. Living in a nursing or residential home
4. Having a serious medical condition
5. Carer of a disabled person
6. Carer of an elderly person
7. Your child belongs to the “at-risk” group (6 months old or over)

Those who fall into these categories of individuals can get a flu jab for free. Just ask your general practitioner about the NHS flu vaccination. If you are a social care worker who is employed by a nursing home or a residential care home, you may also get the flu jab for free, as per NHS. Some pharmacies offer the same, but they will not administer the vaccine on children.

If you want to get the vaccine and you do not fall into any of the “free “categories, then you can request for it privately. The cost of the vaccine is £20, which is available at pharmacies. Different age groups require different kinds of the vaccine.

Take a look at the age group and the corresponding recommended vaccine:
1. 2 to 17 years old – Attenuated Quadrivalent Vaccine (LAIV), nasal spray
2. 18 to 64 years old – Quadrivalent Injected Vaccine (QIVe or QIVc)
3. 65 up – Adjuvanted Trivalent Injected Vaccine or Cell-Grown Quadrivalent Injected Vaccine (QIVc)

As a note, children between 6 months and 2 years old are not yet eligible for the nasal spray. Theirs will be an injected flu vaccine. It must be noted that those who have fever must wait for it until it’s gone before getting the vaccine.