Food & Drink

Tesco pharmacy in Swansea offering flu jabs this autumn to boost uptake and help save lives

Published

3 years ago

6th September 2021

Editor

A Tesco pharmacy in Swansea is offering flu jabs in store from this month in an attempt to boost uptake in the local area.

The pharmacy, which can be found at the Tesco Extra store in Pontardulais Road, Cadle, Swansea will be offering jabs free to people who are entitled to receive them on the NHS. Locals who are not eligible for a free flu jab will be able to buy one for just £9. All jabs must be booked in advance.

**Tesco Extra store in Fforestfach** (Image: Tesco)

Slots can be booked now online. Swansea is just one of a number of Tesco pharmacies across Wales that are offering the flu vaccine this autumn in order to help keep the nation healthy.

Flu jabs can also be booked at pharmacies in Tesco Extra stores at Trostre in Llanelli, Carmarthen and Haverfordwest.

With longer opening hours than many GP surgeries and high-street pharmacies, customers can get vaccinated at a time that fits around their schedule including evenings and weekends, or even combine it with their weekly shop.

The safety of colleagues and customers remains Tesco’s number one priority and there are extensive Covid-19 safety and social distancing measures in place to ensure that customers feel safe while using this service. The flu jab will be given by a Tesco Pharmacist in a private consultation room that will be cleaned before each appointment.

The flu vaccination push is part of a campaign supported by leading charities British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK and Cancer Research UK, which have joined forces with Tesco to encourage more people to protect themselves and their families, and continue to do their bit for the NHS, by getting the flu jab.

James McDonald, Regional Pharmacy Manager Wales, said: “We want to make getting your vaccination as easy as doing the weekly shop.

“We’re doing all we can to make it as convenient as possible for people to get their flu jab to protect themselves and their families. This is the most important flu jab ever for those at risk.”

Maureen Talbot, Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation speaking on behalf of the Helping you to live healthier partnership, said: “People with conditions including heart disease, diabetes and many cancers are at increased risk of severe illness if they get the flu. This year, the presence of COVID-19 adds to that risk, so it’s even more important that people get vaccinated.

“We’d encourage everyone with a qualifying health condition to take up a free flu jab. Getting the jab will ensure you’re protecting yourself as well as playing your part in helping to ease pressure on the NHS at an extremely busy time.”

For people with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes or heart disease, the flu can be deadly. The flu jab was associated with a 50% reduction in mortality during flu season for people living with type 2 diabetes, according to research carried out over a seven-year period.

For people with heart and circulatory diseases, having the flu vaccine cuts the risk of a heart attack by 27% and of dying by 25%. Data shows that in the winter of 2019/20, there were around 6,600 excess deaths from heart and circulatory diseases in the UK, with flu likely to be a contributing factor.

(Lead image: Gustavo Fring / Pexels.com)