Lloydspharmacy has announced that it has cut the price of its winter flu vaccinations by more than half price to encourage more people to protect themselves against the virus.

Recent research carried out by Lloydspharmacy found that take up for the vaccine has fallen this year. This could be due to a misguided belief that the swine flu jab will protect against winter flu**. However, price may also be a factor as people cut back during the recession. At £5, the Lloydspharmacy winter flu vaccine is now the cheapest on the high street compared to Asda and Tesco which are both priced at £8.00.

Chris Frost, pharmacist and director at Lloydspharmacy, said: “Winter flu can be debilitating and in some cases lead to very serious health issues. By making the vaccines available in our pharmacies across the country we’ve already improved access. Now they’re even more affordable we hope to have removed another barrier to people protecting themselves. The last thing anyone wants is to have flu over Christmas.”

Seasonal flu is responsible for the deaths of about 8,000 people in the UK a year and tends to affect the more vulnerable or elderly people. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control forecast that the swine flu and seasonal flu strains could each claim 40,000 lives across Europe this winter.

People over the age of 65 qualify for a free NHS seasonal flu vaccination as do people with conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Others are able to get themselves protected on the high street. Lloydspharmacy offers a seasonal flu vaccination service in 260 of its pharmacies.

Via EPR Network
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