Jabathon (6-10 November), part of the annual Flu Fighter campaign organised by NHS Employers, will focus on both health and social care staff for the first time this year.

This year’s Jabathon event will encourage NHS and social care staff to share their reasons for getting the flu jab, in order to “encourage conversations around the flu vaccination that will inspire healthcare workers to get their jab”. Health workers are invited to post their reasons for being vaccinated on social media and nominate two colleagues to do the same.

It is vital to ensure health and social care staff are vaccinated, NHS Employers says, as they “have the greatest exposure to vulnerable people such as the elderly and the very young”.

P3 recently reported on efforts by national health bodies to roll out flu jabs to more health and care workers, with statistics showing that one in three NHS workers failed to get vaccinated in 2016.

NHS Employers chief executive Danny Mortimer said: “Prevention is the best line of defence against a flu epidemic and stemming the tide of infections through vaccination is imperative. NHS Employers continues to run its flu fighter campaign, to boost vaccination levels among both healthcare and social workers, protecting them and those around them.”