AT-risk people in York and the wider area are being urged to take up the offer of a free flu jab.

The complications of flu can affect everyone, but especially people in high-risk groups.

Those eligible to have a free jab at their GP surgery include: people aged over 65; expectant mothers; people with certain medical conditions; and those living in a long-stay residential care home or other long-stay care facility or carers.

Dr Andrew Phillips, a local GP and York Clinical Commissioning Group’s deputy chief clinical officer said: “The flu vaccine is the best protection we have against an unpredictable virus that can cause unpleasant or severe illness in children and pregnant women and even death among at-risk groups, including older people, and those with an underlying medical health condition.

“Protection from the injected flu vaccine gradually decreases over time because flu strains change. This is why new flu vaccines are produced each year to combat the most likely strains and therefore people are advised to have the flu jab every year, and especially those at risk.

“I urge our community to arm themselves with the correct information about flu, and protect themselves with the flu vaccine by registering to receive it at their local GP practice or participating pharmacy.”

In some people with long-term health conditions, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), getting flu can make their condition worse.

Each year, the viruses that are most likely to cause flu are identified in advance and vaccines are made to match them as closely as possible.

The vaccines are recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), York CCG said.