Tom Cutler was on his way to a family holiday in Maine, USA, when he began feeling unwell. By the time he arrived in America, he was sure that he had seasonal flu, rather than a bad cold as his symptoms were severe. Over the next week, he was forced to stay in his hotel bed, while his family spent time exploring Maine and looking after him in between. As Tom says:

"Seasonal flu really spoilt my holiday – I was in too much pain to even put my socks on and felt really unwell. It was such a shame, as we were looking forward to enjoying the holiday together, as a family. There is a big misconception that seasonal flu is nothing more than a bad cold, however this really isn’t the case. In my case, my diabetic control was sent haywire."

People with certain long term health conditions are more susceptible to the effects of seasonal flu*. For them it can increase the risk of more serious illnesses such as bronchitis and pneumonia, or can make existing conditions worse.

In addition to Tom feeling ill, he was also worried at the thought of potentially needing medical treatment in America and the insurance paperwork and authorisations that this would entail. Fortunately, he was able to avoid this but it did add to the stress of what was intended to be a relaxing holiday. He comments:

"After my experience with seasonal flu, I make sure I always have my jab. As a diabetic, I know this is the best form of protection against seasonal flu.

My advice to those people who are eligible for a seasonal flu vaccination is go and get it done. It’s free, its quick, its painless, and it’ll protect you from seasonal flu for the whole year. It’s really worth getting done.

People sometimes think a bad cold is the same as seasonal flu, but having seasonal flu is often much worse: symptoms include fever, chills, headache, aching muscles, cough and sore throat. And because seasonal flu is a virus, antibiotics won’t treat it."

Listen to Tom's story

* Even if you feel healthy, you should definitely consider having the free seasonal flu vaccination if you have:

• A heart problem
• A chest complaint or breathing difficulties, including bronchitis and emphysema
• A kidney disease
• Lowered immunity due to disease or treatment (such as steroid medication or cancer treatment)
• A liver disease
• Had a stroke or a transient ischaemic attack (TIA)
• Diabetes
• A neurological condition e.g. multiple sclerosis (MS) or cerebral palsy
• A problem with, or the removal of, your spleen, e.g. sickle cell disease