Administration of the flu vaccination

• Understand the inclusion and exclusion criteria for patients through familiarity with the patient group directives

• Understand the differing actions of the available vaccines and which vaccine is appropriate for your patient

• Be aware of safe storage and the ‘cold chain’ and how it may affect efficacy

• Demonstrate safe technique with vaccine administration

• Be aware of potential reactions from vaccine administration and manage appropriately

‘Flu season’ is a well-established annual occurrence in primary care services, with a range of practitioners administering vaccinations against the flu virus, including district and community nurses, practice nurses, GPs and pharmacists.

Influenza is a common and infectious virus, far more severe than the common cold (see influenza). Complications from influenza lead to tens of thousands of hospital stays and an average of more than 600 deaths a year in the UK (University of Oxford Vaccine Knowledge Project, 2020). Symptoms of influenza include:

• Sudden fever: a temperature of 38°C or above
• Aching body
• Tired or exhausted
• Dry cough
• Sore throat
• Headache
• Difficulty sleeping
• Loss of appetite
• Diarrhoea or stomach pain
• Nausea and/or vomiting (NHS, 2020)

The vaccine

Those eligible will be offered a vaccine most effective for them, depending on age and inclusion criteria recognising their potential vulnerability, such as patients with a long-term condition. Adults aged 65

References

Blackmore N. Flu vaccination: an opt-out system for healthcare workers. BMJ. 2018;360:k1143. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k1143

Haralambieva I, Kennedy R, Ovsyannikova I, Whitaker J, Poland G. Variability in humoral immunity to measles vaccination: new developments. trends in molecular medicine. Trends Mol Med. 2015;21(12):789-801. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmed.2015.10.005 

NHS. Flu. 2020. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/flu (accessed 2 November 2020) 

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Influenza vaccine. 2020. https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/influenza-vaccine/ (accessed 21 November 2022) 

Nursing and Midwifery Council. The Code. Professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses, midwives and nursing associates. 2018 (updated from 2015). https://www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/nmc-publications/nmc-code.pdf (accessed 21 November 2022).

Public Health England. Immunity and how vaccines work: the green book, chapter 1. Information for public health professionals on immunisation. 2018 (updated from 2013. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immunity-and-how-vaccines-work-the-green-book-chapter-1 (accessed 21 November 2022) 

Public Health England. Influenza vaccine effectiveness in adults and children in primary care in the UK: 2016-2017. 2017. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/779475/Influenza_vaccine_effectiveness_in_primary_care_2016_2017.pdf (accessed 21 November 2022) 

Public Health England. Flu vaccine effectiveness in 2017-2018 season. 2018. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/779475/Influenza_vaccine_effectiveness_in_primary_care_2016_2017.pdf (accessed 21 November 2022) 

Public Health England. Influenza: the green book. Chapter 19. 2019 (updated from 2013). https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/influenza-the-green-book-chapter-19 (accessed 21 November 2022)