Flu and epilepsy

This information is about treatment for flu in the UK. If you are looking for information about treatment for flu in another country, please contact your local epilepsy organisation.

In this section

• What is flu?
• Vaccine for flu
• People with medical conditions
• Epilepsy and getting the flu jab
• Further information

What is 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. This year’s vaccine protects against three strains of flu, including H1N1. H1N1 is the same strain of flu that caused the 2009 swine flu outbreak.

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 their breathing, such as asthma, COPD or bronchitis.
• a long-term condition that affects their heart
• a long-term kidney disease
• a long-term liver disease, such as hepatitis
• a long-term condition that affects their brain, such as a stroke, TIA or post-polio syndrome
• diabetes
• a weak immune system due to HIV, or treatments that lower the immune system, such a cancer treatments.

Pregnant women, people aged more than 65 years, and children over six months old, who have a long-term condition are also offered the flu jab. This is because they are considered to be at high risk of serious illness if they get flu.

Epilepsy and getting the flu jab

Epilepsy is a long-term condition, but 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.

Further information

Further information about flu, including

• the symptoms of flu;
• what to do if you get flu; and
• vaccination against flu

is available in the UK, from your national NHS helpline. 

• England NHS Direct 0845 4647
• Wales NHS Direct Wales 0845 4647
• Scotland NHS Scotland 08454 24 24 24
• Northern Ireland nidirect.gov.uk

This information was written by Epilepsy Action’s advice and information team with guidance and input from people living with epilepsy and medical experts.