Carers are eligible to receive the seasonal flu vaccine free each winter. If you are the main carer for an elderly or disabled person who may be put at risk if you fall ill, and/or you are in receipt of Carer's Allowance you should be offered a flu jab, according to government policy. This will be at your GP's discretion depending on your need. If you don't get offered the vaccine automatically, explain your concerns for the welfare of the person you’re looking after if you should fall ill, particularly if there isn't anyone else who would be able to step in and your GP will decide whether you need a flu jab based on this information.

Government policy is that the flu vaccine should be offered to the following groups:

• everyone aged 65 years and over
• everyone aged six months or over who is in a clinical risk group
• people living in long-stay residential care homes or other long-stay care facilities where the infection could spread easily and put lives at risk (this doesn’t include prisons, young offender institutions or university halls of residence)
• people who are receiving Carer’s Allowance, or who are the main carer for an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill. This will be given on an individual basis at the GP’s discretion depending on your need.