As part of a weekly series, in association with LloydsPharmacy, Suresh Bagga from LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor answers your common medicine queries…
Suresh Bagga, from LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor, gives expert advice
Q: I’ve heard it’s best to have a flu jab in the morning – is this right?
A: Research does suggest that flu vaccinations are more effective when administered in the morning.
A study published last year found that those given the jab between 9am and 11am had significantly greater protection against two out of three strains of flue a month later, compared with people vaccinated between 3pm and 5pm.
It’s thought this is because the immune system fluctuates during the day.
But further research is needed – in the meantime, the most important thing is to make sure you get the flu vaccine early in the season for the best protection in the peak flu months, November and December (it normally takes two weeks to get full protection).
Avoid having the jab when you’re unwell, with a temperature over 38C.
Q: What works best, an all-in-one cold and flu remedy or individual products?
A: While many products may look similar, they all offer something slightly different. Remedies found on the shelves will also contain lower drug doses.
It’s worth taking the time to find the right product as if you have a chesty cough, for example, and you take a dry cough remedy which suppresses the cough, this could make the problem worse (you want to bring out the mucus rather than keep it down).
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