People aged 50 to 64 in England will be offered a free flu jab from the start of next month in an attempt to fight the “twin threats” of flu and COVID-19.
The group has been added to a list of people who are already eligible for a flu vaccine in England, and means that around 30 million people are now being offered the vaccine in what is expected to be the country’s largest flu-immunisation programme to date.
The UK government confirms has been secured amid high global demand for more flu vaccine, and now means vaccines can be provided to this group over December and into the New Year.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it was a winter “like no other”.
Announcing the vaccine plan, Mr Hancock continued: “We have to worry about the twin threats of flu and COVID-19. COVID means getting a flu jab is more important than ever this year,
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“So we are delivering the largest ever flu vaccination programme.”
Adults over the age of 50 will be able to get their free flu jab from 1 December from their GP or pharmacy.
This winter anyone aged 50-64 will be able to get vaccinated as part of the most comprehensive flu vaccination programme in the UK’s history.
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) November 20, 2020
Jo Churchill – Minister at Public Health England – added: “To prepare for this challenging winter, we committed to protect as many people as possible from the flu, to keep those at risk safe and reduce the strain on our NHS [so] I am pleased we are now able to deliver on that commitment with those aged 50 to 64 invited to get their free flu vaccine from the start of December.
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“These vaccinations are already being given to our existing priority groups and that vital work will continue.
“More vaccine is flowing into GPs and pharmacies throughout the next few months, and I would urge anyone eligible for their flu vaccine to get one including all health and social care workers.”
Who is now eligible for a free flu vaccine?
• Adults aged 65 or over
• Pregnant women
• Those with certain pre-existing conditions
• NHS and social care workers
• All children up to year 7
• Household contacts of those who are clinically extremely vulnerable
It must be noted that the roll-out of the flu vaccine to over 50s is separate to any future COVID-19 vaccine roll-out, and members of the public will be able to receive the flu and COVID-19 vaccinations in parallel as the NHS is well-equipped to administer both.
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Further details on the COVID-19 vaccination deployment plan is expected to follow.
You can find more information about the free flu vaccine roll-out to people aged 50-64 in England from 1st December 2020 via the gov.uk website here.
More information regarding the flu vaccine can be found via the NHS website.
News
Police give crucial updates on human remains found close to M67 in Tameside earlier this week
Emily Sergeant
Crucial updates on the investigation into human remains found close to a Greater Manchester motorway have now been provided.
It comes after officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were called out to the M67 in Tameside earlier this week shortly after 11pm on Monday (3 August) by road workers who made a discovery close to a bridge between junctions 3 and 4, while they were carrying our routine maintenance work on the motorway.
The motorway was then closed to the public for the majority of the following day (4 August) while a police investigation got underway.
Since then, a Home Office post-mortem has taken place to provide more details.
With police confirming that further enquiries are currently ‘ongoing’ and the investigation proceeding at pace, some information about the identity of the human remains has now been released.
It is now known that the body is that of a male aged between 20-28-years-old, approximately 5’5″ to 5’9″ tall and of medium build.
The ethnicity isn’t known at this stage, but it’s expected that this will be confirmed along with other details in due course.
“We are continuing to work with specialist teams to understand the full circumstances behind how the man’s body ended up by the bridge, how he died, and to locate next-of-kin to establish an identity,” GMP said in a statement.
Featured Image – Peter McDermott / Geograph (via Wikimedia Commons)
News
Mancs advised ‘do not travel’ today amid MAJOR region-wide train disruption
Daisy Jackson
Passengers across the North West are being told not to travel today, after a power failure triggered major disruption across the region.
A vast number of trains have been cancelled in and out of Greater Manchester due to the failure at Manchester Rail Operating Centre (ROC).
The disruption started earlier this afternoon but is expected to continue across all operator routes until the end of the day.
Now, rail operators are issuing ‘do not travel’ notices, and ticket acceptance has been put in place across all Bee Network buses and Metrolink services.
A statement shared by Manchester City Council: “Due to a power failure at the Manchester Rail Operating Centre (ROC), there is major disruption on the rail network across Greater Manchester, the north west of England and the Midlands.
“Delays and cancellations are expected on all operator routes across Greater Manchester until the end of today (Thursday 6th August). Rail operators have issued a do not travel notice with travel advice and the latest information HERE.
“Ticket acceptance is in place on all Bee Network buses and Metrolink services across Greater Manchester.”
The Manc -
20th November 2020 
