CARMARTHENSHIRE County Council’s Chief Executive has joined front-line staff in having the annual flu vaccination.
Mark James and Director of Social Care, Health and Housing, Bruce McLernon, rolled up their sleeves at Carmarthen’s Furnace Road Surgery this week.
Council Leader, Cllr Kevin Madge, is booked in for his jab at his Glanamman GP next week.
Frontline staff, mostly care workers, have been encouraged to have the flu vaccination to help stop the spread of the virus.
Those who have not yet had their jabs are being urged to act quickly in order to protect the most vulnerable people in our communities.
Mark James said: “Our staff do a wonderful job in caring and providing services for Carmarthenshire residents. Whilst we want to ensure their health and ability to work through our busiest season of the year, our biggest priority is to prevent the spread of the flu virus to the most vulnerable people in our society.
“I’ve had my jab this week, and it took only a matter of minutes.
“It’s important to protect yourself, and others around you.”
Flu is caused by a virus and spreads quickly in closed environments such as hospitals and care homes.
Older people, and those with long-term health conditions or recovering from treatment, are at increased risk of catching flu – and in some cases, the illness can be fatal.
These groups of people, along with carers, are offered the vaccination free of charge by their GP, however members of the public can protect themselves for a small charge at most pharmacies.
The flu vaccine is changed each year to best match circulating virus strains, so it is important that people are immunised annually.
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