Hywel Dda University Health Board urges flu vaccine uptake

The Hywel Dda University Health Board is urging individuals in vulnerable groups to attend their flu vaccine appointments to protect themselves, their communities, and the NHS this winter.

Encouragement is being directed toward residents across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, and Pembrokeshire. Eligible groups include children aged 2 to 3, primary and secondary school students, pregnant women, adults aged 65 and older, and those with long-term health conditions. The board also highlighted eligibility for social care workers, unpaid carers, and certain frontline workers such as those in the maritime or agricultural sectors.

Bethan Lewis, Assistant Director of Public Health Business and Strategic Operations at the Hywel Dda University Health Board, noted that while the board has performed well in school nursing vaccinations, uptake remains a concern. Data suggests that only about 40% of eligible people in certain high-risk groups received their flu vaccine last winter.