How the flu vaccine is made

The flu travels across from Australia, through Asia towards England every year. The migration of the virus and it’s contact with animal viruses means the strain that arrives in the UK differs every year.

Computers are used to work out the most likely strain to arrive in the UK, this is then grown in sterile growth medium and then either changes so it can’t reproduce (inactivated) or is broken in to pieces. These inactivated viruses or pieces are then injected into a person. Their immune response tailors itself to destroy these particles and in so doing, “learns” to recognise the flu virus and so is ready for when the new virus arrives. The body can then respond and remove the new virus quickly before it is able to make us ill.

Because we have to make an educated guess as to the strain that will arrive in the UK, the vaccination covers around 90% of patients.

The different types of flu vaccination

Types of flu jab: Trivalent and Quadrivalent

As mentioned, it is predicted what type of flu will come across to the UK, for this reason, there are usually put three types of flu virus particles in the flu vaccinations. To try to prevent more cases of flu, manufacturers have now developed a vaccine with four types of flu virus particle in it. Weldricks is pleased to be able to offer this vaccination to all patients who have their vaccination in a Weldricks Pharmacy, including NHS patients.

Flu jabs are available from Weldricks Pharmacy and provided free to NHS patients in at risk groups.
If you don’t qualify for a free NHS flu jab, but don’t want to be off sick with flu, don’t want to be ill for a holiday or maybe don’t want to spread flu to children or other family members, you can have a private flu vaccination with Weldricks Pharmacy.