Sanofi Pasteur has teamed up with athlete Paula Radcliffe to encourage people to consider getting vaccinated against flu this winter.

In particular, the campaign hopes to reach clinical at-risk groups, such as those with long-term conditions including asthma, diabetes and heart disease. Only 49 per cent of people in at-risk groups were vaccinate last year, according to Sanofi.

Radcliffe, an asthma sufferer herself, said: “I’ve had flu a number of times and it has developed into bronchitis, which I’ve been told is because of my asthma.”

Dr Ian Gray, medical head of Sanofi Pasteur UK & Ireland said: “For several years the medical community has been concerned about the consistently low number of eligible people in at-risk groups taking up the NHS flu vaccination.

“In fact, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is developing guidance, due out in January 2018, about helping to increase the uptake of the free flu vaccination among people who are eligible.”