The new injection is set to be introduced in Autumn 2018 where it will replace the current vaccine that was used as part of a £100 million campaign to combat flu.

This comes as good news following the large increase of people contracting flu this winter with calls to the NHS 111 number reaching their highest number of 2017 just seven days before Christmas.

The UK were put on high flu alert after a 156% increase of people contracted the flu compared to the previous week. This saw the NHS receive around 396,262 calls leading up to the winter holiday.

The spike in the number of flu cases comes from the N3H2 strain which is referred to as “Aussie flu”with over 170,000 cases reported by the end of the Australian winter, which was more than double the figure of the previous year.

Flu vaccines are reported to be only 40-60% effective which appears to be the case with this years injection. Sylvia Smith, an elderly woman eligible for the jab said, ” I got my jab back November and it usually does help prevent me from getting the flu barring some cold symptoms.”

“Last week I thought I was just coming down with a cold but I ended spending 4 or 5 days in bed with waves of sweats and the shivers”

“My local doctor came out to see me because I couldn’t muster up any energy and didn’t have any sort of appetite, I felt dreadful and I’ve still not fully shaken off the runny nose”

In the UK an average of around 600 people die from complications of  seasonal flu although it is expected that number will rise this year due to the “Aussie flu” that is currently circulating.

However, the introduction of the new super vaccine next autumn is estimated to prevent more than 1,700 deaths a year as the new jab will bolster the immune systems response time when a person is infected.

People are still been urged to get this years vaccine because even though this one doesn’t include full prevention of the N3H2 strain it is still better have some sort of defence against flu symptoms.

 

Local healthcare professional Elizabeth Blakeley said, “the Worldwide Health Authorities decides what goes in the vaccine 6 months before winter so it helps prevent whats happening in the southern hemisphere happening in the UK”

Mrs Blakeley provides people with the injection at Skelmanthorpe Doctors located in a local village in Huddersfield and she said, “Around 2200 people receive the jab here, and this can be people over the age of 65, anyone with chronic diseases and children of certain ages.”

“We have also started providing children in schools with the vaccination over the last couple of years”

“It doesn’t guarantee you won’t get the flu but it will provide strong assistance with combating the symptoms”

So what should you do if you start to feel any symptoms of the flu?

Mrs Blakeley said, “It’s the golden standard of catch it, bin it, kill it. Drink plenty of fluids, make sure you stay warm and indoors and contact your GP if symptoms get progressively worse”