Mother’s-to-be, pensioners and infants are being offered protection from flu as Grampian’s annual vaccination programme gets underway.
With winter just around the corner, more than two million people in Scotland are being offered the vaccine.
This year, parents of pre-school children will be contacted and encouraged to make an appointment with their GP if they want their child vaccinated.
It is hoped this will lead to more people being vaccinated than ever before.
The free vaccine is also offered to people with underlying health conditions, such as diabetes and asthma, pregnant women and over 65s as flu can lead to serious complications which may need hospital treatment.
More than 550,000 Scottish children will also be offered the nasal spray vaccination, following the extension of the flu vaccination programme in 2014.
Primary school children will be vaccinated at school, while pre-school youngsters will be offered the vaccination at their GP practise.
Healthcare workers across Grampian will also be urged to get the vaccine to help protect themselves, their families and patients.
Public Health Minister Maureen Watt, who is eligible for the vaccine as she has asthma, said: “As the national flu immunisation programme gets underway, I want to encourage all those who are eligible to join with us in being ready for flu.
“I will be getting the vaccine this year, as I have every year, as I have asthma and know that getting flu could have a serious impact on my health.
“I’d rather make sure I’m covered and not have to worry about the consequences.”
The flu vaccine offers the best defence against the most common strains of the virus circulating this year.
Dr Nicola Steedman, the Scottish Government’s senior medical officer said: “Over the last five years around 500 deaths have occurred each winter which can be attributable, or related to, flu.
“The flu virus can make even healthy people very unwell.
“It’s best to get the flu vaccine as soon as possible, before lots of viruses start circulating, and it will offer protection for a year.”