Tell your GP if you receive a Carer’s Allowance or are the main carer

As a carer you may be worried about getting the flu because it would affect your ability to care for the person you’re looking after. You may be able to get a flu jab because of this, or because of your age or your own health.

Government policy is that the flu vaccine should be offered to the following groups:

• Everyone aged 65 years and over.
• Everyone aged six months or over who is in a clinical risk group.
• People living in long-stay residential care homes or other long-stay care facilities where the infection could spread easily and put lives at risk (this doesn’t include prisons, young offender institutions or university halls of residence).
• People who are receiving a Carer’s Allowance, or who are the main carer for an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill. This will be given on an individual basis at the GP’s discretion depending on your need.

If you’re not aged 65 or over, tell your GP if you receive a Carer’s Allowance or are the main carer for the person you’re looking after. Explain your concerns for the welfare of the person you’re looking after if you should fall ill, for example if there is no one else who would be able to step in. If you have health problems of your own, your GP should also check to see if you fall into one of the clinical risk groups. Your GP will decide whether you need a flu jab based on this information.

http://www.nhs.uk/CarersDirect/yourself/takingcareofyourself/Pages/flujabsforcarers.aspx