These pages are about medication available in the UK. If you are looking for information about medication in another country, please contact your local epilepsy organisation.
In this section
- About flu?
- Vaccine for flu
- People with medical conditions
- Epilepsy and getting the flu jab
- Further information
About flu
Flu is a virus that mainly affects your nose, throat and lungs. For most people, it’s not serious, and they get better within a week. But some people, who get flu, go on to have more serious conditions, such as bronchitis and pneumonia. In rare cases, people die from these complications of flu.
Vaccine for flu
Every year the Department of Health makes a vaccine available to offer to people at risk of serious complications of flu. The 2012/13 vaccine protects against three types of flu virus.
- H1N1 – the strain of flu that caused the swine flu pandemic in 2009
- H3N2 – a strain of flu that can infect birds and mammals and was active in 2011
- a strain of flu that was active in 2010 known as B/Wisconsin/1
People with medical conditions
The flu vaccine is offered free of charge to anyone who is over six months old, and has one of the following.
- A long-term condition that affects breathing, such as asthma, COPD or bronchitis
- A long-term conditions that affects the heart
- A long-term kidney disease
- A long-term liver disease, such as hepatitis
- A long-term condition that affects the brain, such as Parkinson’s disease or motor neurone disease
- Diabetes
- Problems with the spleen – for example, sickle cell disease, or if they have had their spleen removed
- A weak immune system due to HIV and AIDS, or treatments that lower the immune system, such a cancer treatments
Pregnant women and people aged more than 65 years are also offered the flu jab. This is because they are considered to be at high risk of serious illness if they get flu.
More information about flu and vaccinations can be found on the NHS Choices website: www.nhs.uk
Epilepsy and getting the flu jab
Epilepsy is a long-term condition. However, the Department of Health has no reason to believe that people with epilepsy are in a high risk group. This means that people with epilepsy are not automatically offered the flu jab. But, if your family doctor thinks you are at risk of becoming seriously ill if you get flu, they can offer you a flu jab.
More information about getting the flu jab can be found on the NHS Choices website: www.nhs.uk
Further information
Further information about flu, including symptoms, what to do if you get flu and vaccination against flu is available in theUK, from your national NHS helpline
- England NHS Direct, tel. 0845 4647
- Northern Ireland nidirect.gov.uk
- Scotland NHS Scotland, tel. 08454 24 24 24
- Wales NHS Direct Wales, tel. 0845 4647
Our thanks
Epilepsy Action would like to thank Professor Phil Smith, MD FRCP, Consultant Neurologist, University Hospital of Wales, for his contribution.
Professor Phil Smith has no conflict of interest to declare.
This information has been produced under the terms of The Information Standard.
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Updated December 2012To be reviewed December 2014
Comments: read the 4 comments or add yours
Comments
I had asthma all my life and missed my last two flu jabs had a seziure in November 2012 and had another in April 2013 never had epilepsy before.but with the last two seziures I had a ear infection and a cold. And I never used to go to bed early could this be part of my problem as my MRI scan and EEG came back normal thanks dan
Hi Daniel
The best person to say if there was any connection between you seizures and you been unwell is your epilepsy consultant. For most people with epilepsy there is no known cause or trigger for them to develop epilepsy or to experience seizures. But for some people there are some things that make their seizures more likely. These are often referred to as ‘triggers’. Triggers are things like stress, not sleeping well and drinking too much alcohol. Some people say they have more seizures if they miss meals.
You may be interested in our online community, forum4e. This is for people with epilepsy and carers of people with epilepsy. People can find it really helpful to talk to other people in a similar situation and share experiences.
I hope you epilepsy consultant is able to answer your question.
I would just like to add that I would not have the 'Flu jab'. based on the fact that I had my first seizure the day after having a 'Measles booster' as a child.
I was then seizure free until adolescence when I developed full blown Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy. I have been on medication for 55 years.
Maybe it was just a coincidence - or maybe vaccines can act as a trigger for those who have a genetic predisposition to epilepsy.
Has any research been done into this? If not what evidence do GPs and Consultants have to draw on when advising patients?
Hi
For information on research connected to the flu jab you may wish view the publication ‘Immunisation against infectious disease’: the green book produced by Public Health England. You will also find helpful information on how research is performed and reported on NHS choices website. If you haven’t already, it would be advisable to talk to your family doctor regarding your suitability to have the flu jab..
Diane Wallace
Advice and Information Team