MORE than half the pensioners living in East Lancashire have already had a flu jab this winter -- but health bosses still want to protect thousands more people.

But health bosses, although pleased with the take-up, want to see at least 52,000 of the over-65s in the area - or 65 per cent - having one of the preventative jabs.

The two-month campaign by East Lancashire Health Authority has so far seen 43,519 people over 65, or 55 per cent of the population, have their jab, slightly up on last year.

The uptake has been best in Burnley, where 62 per cent of the over 65 population has had their jab, while the lowest uptake has been in Hyndburn where 41 per cent of pensioners have had theirs.

Immunisation, while preventing flu, is also recommended for anyone with a chronic health problem, including heart disease, a bad chest, diabetes or kidney disease.

The flu jabs will be on offer until the end of November and anyone who has not made arrangements for theirs, should contact their GP.

Dr Roberta Marshall, the authority's consultant in communicable disease control, said: "Every year influenza causes serious illness and deaths, especially in older people and those who have underlying health problems.

"The vaccine works well in protecting against flu and its complications so I would encourage everyone who should have the vaccine to take advantage of this free injection to protect your health that the NHS provides.

"Even if you have never had flu before there is a risk every winter that you migh catch it because the flu virus changes a little bit each year so no-one has long lasting immunity to flu.

"Fortunately, the vaccine is changed every year as well to make sure that it remains effective against the flu virus. The most common side effect of the flu vaccine is a sore arm for a couple of days, which is very little compared to the misery of having flu itself."

She added that people could not catch flu from having the vaccine because it is made from killed virus and so cannot cause infection.

At the same point last year, around 53 per cent of the East Lancashire population had been immunised, compared with the slightly higher figure of 55 per cent this year.

A spokesman for East Lancashire Health Authority said: "The only area that continues to be low is the Hyndburn area at just 41 per cent, so we would strongly urge people in that area to get themselves immunised before the end of November."