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By The Drum Team, Editorial

October 3, 2011 | 2 min read

The annual flu vaccination campaign by the Department of Health is to go ahead without any advertising, having found no additional merit’ in having used advertising in previous years.

Promoting the uptake of the vaccinations this year will fall onto local GPs after the department said that it found that vaccine update rates last year, when no national campaign was run, was similar to that of previous campaigns when they were run with over 72.8% of over 65s taking the vaccination last year, in comparison with 72.7% the previous year.

In researching uptake, the Department said that people had said the most influential factor was recommendations from GPs and other health professionals.

Despite this, the department has also said that it will monitor the amount of flu-like illness during the winter to inform whether it should run a respiratory and hand hygiene ad campaign in the future.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: "There is no additional merit in a vaccination advertising campaign for the general population when there is already a targeted approach for those who need to be called. GP surgeries should contact those individuals in the at-risk groups so that they can be vaccinated.

"It is never too early to start thinking about flu and it is vital we remind people at risk to get their annual flu jab. The vaccine is now available from local GPs and this will provide the best form of protection for your family and friends,” they added.

NHS Department of Health

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