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Flu caused many more excess deaths last season than in previous years going back to 2017. We know that vaccination improves the rate of infection across the population and protects people from illness and hospitalisation. Now the UK Health Security Agency says it’s the best way to avoid more excess deaths this season.
With long hours, and often self-employed staff who are on-site much of the time, the potential for the virus to spread around film and TV sets is rife. And with things cranking up, cinemas opening up May, and TV productions getting back onto the set, there’s no better time to consider protecting yourself.
A recent report, The Looking Glass, found UK’s film, TV, and cinema workforce work long and intense hours, with more than two-thirds (78%) saying they struggled to strike a balance with commitments outside of work. And now that things are picking up for the first time since the coronavirus hit, work is already getting busy. BFI shows a £1.19bn upturn in the final quarter signals significant recovery in film and high-end TV production.
For those interested in a little history by the way – have a look at this: how the silent film industry was almost swept away by the flu.
Why everyone should have the flu vaccine this year.
Every year the flu virus hits the UK with devastating results. On average flu kills some 11,000 Brits a year, while hospitalising many more. In fact the biggest hit was in 2017 to 2018 when flu deaths catapulted to 22,000 people in the UK – the worst yet. And there’s fears that numbers are starting to crawl up again.
One of England’s top medics, Dr Susan Hopkins of Public Health England warned that this year, we need to be especially vigilant. Hopkins and her team warn that the population hasn’t built up any immunity to non-Covid viruses, essentially because we’ve not really been exposed to one another. She said the UK must ‘prepare for a hard winter’ and warned the NHS needed to be ready for surges in flu – possibly even a faster-spreading variant. Her warnings came as we enter lockdown easing.
For a straightforward and flexible way to protect your production staff, speak to us at CitiHealth. We work with many film and TV organisations and can find a vaccination plan that best suits your needs.
We are here to keep your production on track by making sure everyone is in their best health. Whether it’s health vaccinations, flu vaccinations or Covid vaccinations, we can ensure your cast and crew are protected so they can do their very best work under pressure. Find out more at our dedicated Film and TV productions page.
