In October or November, many people will receive a new invitation to get the flu vaccine. The flu vaccine protects people who, because of their age or medical condition, are more likely to become ill or seriously ill from flu. People can get the flu vaccine from their general practitioner (GP) or from their in-house physician at their care institution.
For many people, flu is a fairly innocent virus. However, people aged 60 and over and people with certain medical conditions are at risk of becoming seriously ill. That is why they receive an invitation to get the flu vaccine. This offers the best protection against flu. Thanks to the flu vaccine, on average people have 40% less chance of hospitalisation. The vaccine also reduces the chance of them infecting others. If people do get flu, they often become less ill.
Flu vaccine for pregnant women
Flu can also make newborn babies very ill. For this reason, women who have been pregnant for 22 weeks or more in the period from 15 October 2024 until 1 March 2025 can also get the flu vaccine. This way, they will protect both themselves and their baby against flu.
The midwife or gynaecologist will remind pregnant women of this vaccination and is able to answer questions about it. Pregnant women can make an appointment to get the flu vaccine with their Well-Baby Clinic. They can combine this with an appointment for the 22-week vaccination against pertussis (whooping cough). It is safe to have both vaccinations at once.
Pneumococcal disease vaccine
In addition to the invitation to get the flu vaccine, people aged 60–63 will also receive an invitation from their GP or their in-house physician at their care institution for a pneumococcal disease vaccine this autumn. This vaccine protects against diseases caused by pneumococci, such as pneumonia. People can often get this vaccine at the same time as the flu vaccine.