Flu vaccination sessions held to protect carers in Carmarthenshire

Flu vaccination sessions specifically for domiciliary care workers and residential care home staff in the county are being held for the first time.

Carmarthenshire County Council is working in partnership with Hywel Dda University Health Board to ensure a key priority group of staff have access to the vaccination ahead of the winter months.

The sessions, which are being held at day centres in Ammanford, Carmarthen and Llanelli, are open to council staff as well as those in the private sector.

A pharmacist is on hand to deliver the vaccine to up to 42 members of staff at each session on an appointment basis. The authority has supported those members of staff who have requested the vaccine by working around their rotas.
More than 200 carers within the authority and from the private sector have been vaccinated to date.

Carmarthenshire County Council’s executive board member responsible for health and social care, Cllr Jane Tremlett, said: “As flu vaccinations are more in demand than ever this year we felt it was essential that we made sure that our front line staff who are supporting the most elderly and vulnerable in the community are protected. By working together with the local health board these sessions have made it easier for staff who may have found it difficult to get a slot to fit around their work to be able to get the vaccination by us organising appointments at a time to suit them.”

Angela Evans, Head of Community Pharmacy at Hywel Dda UHB, said: “Protecting care home staff with a flu vaccine is more important than ever. We hope these flu clinics for domiciliary care staff have provided a convenient way for these key workers to access the vaccine and protect themselves and their clients from flu this winter. I’d like to thank everyone involved in this partnership working between social care colleagues and pharmacists across Carmarthenshire as we aim to protect as many people from flu this winter.”

(Lead image: Carmartehnshire Council)