Will I know recive a flu jab?

[bexlt17]

Im 34 and have just been told I have RA and I was just thinking would i know get a flu jab on the NHS? thank you all hope you are all well and having a pain free day like me

[Hidden]

Hi, my GP surgery runs flu jab clinics but didn't get in touch with me to tell me to attend. I phoned and requested one explaining to the receptionist that I have ra. You should also be able to just call your surgery and book into the next clinic.

[Hidden]

When you receive your first flu jab you should also request that you are given the pneumonia one at the same time, it will be given to you in the opposite arm.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I hadn't thought of that Georje, thanks for the tip

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I forgot to say that you only receive this once unlike the flu jab!

[abannister in reply to Hidden]

i was told last month when i got my pneuma vax i had to get it every 5 years

[sciqueen]

Hi

You should do, but you may have to ring up and say you should get initially, so that you are added to their records that what I did last yr when I was first diagnosed. Gp says I will automatically get a letter for this yr.

Sci x

[Tillytop]

As the others say you may well have to "chase" to make sure you get one if you are entitled. A couple of times I have missed out because I wasn't on the GP's list and the surgery had run out of vaccine. On those occassions I ended up having to pay.

I think I am right in saying that RA itself won't mean you qualify for an NHS vaccination, but if you take immunosuppressant meds you will qualify. Sometimes there can be confusion about your entitlement if your immunosuppressant meds are prescribed by the hospital rather than the GP - because unless your GP's records show that your are immunosuppressed, you may find you are missed off their list. What I do these days is to try to book one of my routine blood tests for around the time the flu clinics start and just ask the nurse on the day to do the vaccination while I am there. That works quite well for me and saves me having to go back for the vaccine.

Tillyx

[allanah]

Not sure where you work, but some workplaces also give free flu jabs , hope u get sorted Axx

[abannister]

i got my letter from gp today to attend the flu jab open clinic in october

[Hidden]

You probably only qualify if you are on RA meds and I believe you are still waiting to start these? I had mine in December just before starting MTX so don't be surprised if they say RA on its own doesn't mean you are on their priority list.

[earthwitch]

Before you get on the list the first time, you might need to remind your GP surgery that you have diagnosed RA if you are under the normal age for getting the flu jab.

Sometimes you don't need to actually book in for it either - you can just turn up at one of the clinics that the surgery will run for doing the jabs, and you tell them then that you have RA.

Tilda is right in that you may not be on the priority list without being on DMARDs, though I know our surgery is fairly flexible with that because the flu jab really isn't that expensive and they would rather more people had it than less.

Easiest thing though is to phone your GP practice and just ask what happens and how to get on the list.