- Approximately one million adults in the UK will qualify for free flu vaccinations
- Public Health England said the elderly, diabetics and asthmatics are also eligible
- It comes after Australia and New Zealand suffered the worst outbreak in 50 years
Obese people will be given free flu jabs for the first time after the NHS judged them to be a high-risk group.
It means that approximately one million adults said to be morbidly obese will qualify for the vaccinations.
Public Health England rules mean the elderly, diabetics and asthmatics are also eligible.
The announcement comes after both New Zealand and Australia suffered their worst flu outbreak in 50 years.
Around one million adults said to be morbidly obese (stock photo) will qualify for the vaccinations
And NHS bosses fear that British hospitals will struggle to cope because they will be inundated with people suffering with flu symptoms and needing vaccinations.
Brits who are deemed to be seriously overweight qualify for the vaccinations because their immune system is weaker than those who are a healthy weight.
They are placed in that category if they have a body max index of more than 40 and are two per cent of men and four per cent of women aged between 16 and 64.
People who want the jab, but do not qualify, can buy it for £12.99 at Boots or £5 at Asda, reports The Sun.
Public Health England rules mean the elderly, diabetics and asthmatics are also eligible for the jab (stock photo)
Tam Fry, from the National Obesity Forum, told the newspaper: ‘We should welcome this news and push for free flu jabs for all those who are obese, not just seriously overweight.’
Almost 700,000 children aged either eight or nine will get the vaccines for free, as will those who work in care homes.
If health professionals refuse to give a free jab they must inform their line manager of the reason.