A Cheshire health leader has thanked residents for coming forward in record numbers for their flu jab this winter.

Sandbach GP Dr Andrew Wilson, clinical chair of NHS Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), thanked the people of Cheshire after national figures up to 31 December 2021 showed that nearly 264,000 residents had been vaccinated.

Dr Wilson, based at Ashfields Primary Care Centre in Sandbach, also acknowledged the hard work of the county's NHS and local authority flu team in managing the vaccination roll-out in partnership with GP practices, community pharmacy and the schools immunisation team.

The data put the county top of nine CCG areas in Cheshire and Merseyside for 10 of the 12 categories of people entitled to free flu vaccination.

And figures reported by the CCG for Cheshire on 1 February revealed a total uptake of 68.9 per cent of eligible people - already 5.6 per cent higher than in 2020-21.

The CCG has already exceeded the national 75 per cent target in all but two categories, the exceptions being pregnant women and people with liver disease.

While vaccination of pregnant women is currently falling short, Cheshire has still recorded the second highest uptake in the nine areas across Cheshire and Merseyside.

To help drive up performance in the categories missing the target, GP practices and maternity services are promoting the benefits of vaccination to pregnant women while GPs are set to organise dedicated clinics for patients with liver disease.

Dr Wilson said: "It's great news that Cheshire people have come forward in record numbers this winter to protect themselves and those around them from a nasty virus that can kill up to 20,000

people in England in a bad year. "By doing the right thing for themselves and their loved ones, they have also helped protect the NHS from being overwhelmed by a combination of flu and Covid-19. "There's still time for eligible people to get their free jab if they haven't already had it. Just call your GP practice to make an appointment."