How to protect your health and enjoy the festive season

Now that the festive season is upon us, the NHS in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland is sharing some simple tips with local people so they can make sure they stay fit and healthy in the run-up to Christmas and New Year.

The first tip is to get vaccinated. If you are eligible for any seasonal or NHS recommended vaccines including the Covid-19, flu or RSV vaccines then please get vaccinated now. It can take up to two weeks for vaccines to become fully effective so by getting vaccinated now you will have the best possible protection ahead of the holidays.

Dr Virginia Ashman, Clinical Lead for the immunisation programme in LLR said: “The festive season is a great time to be sociable, but this is also when many winter viruses are circulating more. Viruses spread more easily when people get together, especially indoors so we’re asking everyone to do their bit to help prevent illnesses from spreading especially for the most vulnerable people such as pregnant women, young children, older people and those with weakened immune systems.

“Don’t let winter bugs spoil your Christmas; take precautions to protect both yourself and others. If you have a long-term condition, it’s important that you continue to follow guidance from your doctor or specialist about your medication and managing your condition.”

The NHS has issued the following advice for before and during the festive season:

• Get any vaccinations you are eligible for early in December, as it can take a couple of weeks for vaccines to get into your system and become fully effective.
• If you are unwell, stay at home and minimise contact with others. Wash your hands and clean surfaces regularly to help stop germs from spreading.
• If you have an underlying health condition do keep up with any self-monitoring, take your medication as prescribed and try to avoid anything that could trigger a flare-up of your symptoms.
• Avoid running out of your regular medication. Keep a close eye on how much you have left, particularly if you are going to be away from home. Allow five working days for your GP practice to process any repeat prescriptions and ideally put any requests in by 10 December, as GP practices and pharmacies get very busy the week before Christmas. It’s easy to place an order on the NHS App.
• If you do run out of medication, and your practice is closed, use NHS 111 for an emergency supply.
• If you become unwell or are injured while you are out celebrating, use NHS 111 for advice and to get the right care, in the right place. If it’s not a life-threatening emergency, NHS111 can help you avoid lengthy waits to be seen.

Our ‘Get ready to be festive’ campaign highlights all the benefits of vaccinations, how they can help to prevent you from becoming seriously unwell and where you can get vaccinated this winter. The campaign also has advice about how to manage long-term conditions and where you can get healthcare support when you need it. For more information visit: www.leicesterleicestershireandrutland.icb.nhs.uk/vaccinations/