A Primary Care Network in the areas of Burnage, Chorlton Park and Didsbury have been working hard to increase the uptake of the flu vaccine this year.
Four GP Practices together with the Manchester Local Care Organisation Integrated Neighbourhood Team (MLCO INT) have worked in collaboration to identify the groups of people who are not receiving their flu vaccinations.
Their work, supported by Manchester City Council’s Population Health Team and Manchester Health and Care Commissioning’s data system found that the following groups have been hard to reach in the 2020 flu season:
- Pregnant women
- Two to three year olds
- People from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds
- People with learning disabilities
Manchester Local Care Organisation said: “Our most vulnerable are at increased risk of both Covid and flu.
“Having a flu vaccination helps to keep people well and also helps reduce the pressures that the hospitals have over winter.”
There are roughly 11,123 people within the neighbourhood who are eligible for the flu vaccination yet just over half of the people are taking the vaccination, the team has found.
To tackle this and get more people taking the flu vaccination, Manchester Local Care Organisation is doing targeted work with members of the local community.
They are training them to help raise education and understanding of the benefits of taking the flu vaccination.
Particularly, the training will consist of how to myth bust misinformation about vaccines and flu to help increase the uptake of the flu vaccine.
Volunteers who have been trained will also be equipped with a toolkit, with leaflets in different languages and social media content they can share.
A clinic is being set up at a Christ Church Burnage (Fog Lane/Parrs Wood Road) on 5 December, which the team hope will be more accessible -especially to families.
The PCN are pioneering a cross practice appointment system so that anyone registered at one of the four PCN practices can book in to this.
As well as improving the amount of people getting the flu vaccine, the group will also be looking at understanding the reasons why people aren’t taking up the flu vaccination so that each year more people at risk of complications from flu can benefit.
The flu vaccination is available to anyone over 65 or in a risk group through NHS vaccination at GP Practices through booked appointments. Some local pharmacies also provide vaccinations.
Visit the link for more information about flu: https://www.mhcc.nhs.uk/flu/toolkit/
Contact for more information: [email protected]
Four Practices are Kingsway Burnage, Didsbury and Barlow Medical Centres in Didsbury and David Medical Centre ( Chorlton Park).
