People with these needs are at a higher risk of catching the flu and of getting very sick. The best defence is a free flu jab, available from 1 July.
Eligibility
Anyone with schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder or anyone currently accessing secondary or tertiary mental health and addiction services, can now get a free flu jab.
Getting the flu jab
People who are in-patients will be offered the flu vaccination as part of their ongoing treatment. People who are out-patients can access a free flu jab through their usual healthcare provider.
If you are also due to have a COVID-19 vaccination, you can get this vaccination at the same time as the free flu jab. There’s no need to leave a gap between these vaccines.
If you’ve recently had COVID-19 you can have a flu jab as soon as you’ve recovered.