Firstly, thank you to Pauline Heslop and Sue Parsons for their Health & Wellbeing article in the August edition – very useful, and interesting!
Preparing for post summer!
As I write this, we are ‘enjoying’ a very warm summer, but we know this heat will not last and we will need to prepare ourselves for the cold and wet of autumn and winter! And with the change of weather comes the onset of different health challenges, one of them being seasonal flu. According to Patient.info ‘Getting the flu vaccine (also called the flu jab or flu shot) is a safe and effective way to protect against becoming seriously ill with flu’. To find out more go to:-
Flu Jab: Who Should Have It, Benefits, and Side-Effects
- Protects you from severe illness and reduces the spread of the virus to vulnerable individuals, thereby easing the pressure on health care services during the busy winter months.
- It covers the flu strains most likely to circulate in the coming winter.
- Flu vaccines come as an injection or a nasal spray for children.
- Side effects are usually mild, such as soreness at the injection site or a mild temperature.
- You can get a free flu jab if you are in an eligible group (see below)
The NHS flu vaccination programme for the 2026/27 season begins on 1 September 2026 for children and pregnant women. All other eligible adult cohorts can receive their vaccines starting 1st October. The campaign will run until 31st March 2027, with the primary goal of completing vaccinations before winter. School-aged children from reception to year 11 will be immunised at school.
Eligibility
The NHS provides the flu jab for free to individuals most at risk of developing severe illness. Eligible groups include:
- People aged 65 and over
- Pregnant women
- Individuals aged 6 months to 64 years with certain underlying health conditions (e.g., respiratory disease, diabetes, heart conditions, weakened immune systems)
- Frontline health and social care workers
- People living in long-stay residential care
- Carers and those who live with vulnerable individuals
- People aged 16 and over experiencing homelessness
- Children aged 2 and 3
Axbridge & Wedmore Medical Practice will be inviting eligible patients to book, via text message, in August with clinic dates commencing Thursday, 1st October and Tuesday, 6th October 2026.
Less serious snippets!
While we still have some sun and we may still be exposing our skin, here are a couple of interesting topics. Many of you will have seen ‘micellar water’ for sale in the Beauty aisles and perhaps like me have wondered why we need special water to clean our faces? It seems that there is some evidence of its beneficial effects. According to Patient.info, ‘Dr Aneesha Ahmad, GP, dermatologist and medical director of Skyn Doctor, Huddersfield, Leeds, explains that micellar water is made up of very small balls of cleansing oil molecules (micelles) suspended in soft purified water which removes impurities from your skin’. It seems that it is an effective cleanser, even removing make up and eye makeup. It is reported to be gentle and suitable for all skin types, being free from known irritants. It is also good for your hair!
To find out more go to Why micellar water is good for your skin
However not even the beneficial properties of micellar water can restore colour to grey hair! On Patient.info, Dr Mohamed, a hair loss and restoration surgeon and founder of City Clinics, UK, explains that pigment is produced by specialised cells called melanocytes, located in the hair bulb. ‘These cells manufacture melanin and transfer it into the growing hair shaft during the active growth phase. Over time, we see a gradual decline in both the number and function of these cells’. This is a natural and inevitable process as we age, but is also affected by ‘oxidative stress’, when ‘free radicals outnumber antioxidants’. This oxidative stress can be increased by a number of factors, including smoking, a poor diet, and long-term stress and is part of becoming older and wiser(!).
To find out more go to Why does hair turn grey? Causes, stress and can it be reversed?
Support for people with dementia and their carers in Wedmore
Carer’s Group
Do you care for or support a person living with dementia? Then this friendly informative group is for you! Come along on the first Friday of the month to The Swan Hotel, Wedmore between 10am and 12md. The next meeting will be on Friday 4th September. If you want to find out more about the Memories Workshops and Carers’ Group, phone HeadsUp on 01749 670667 or email wedmorecarers@yahoo.com If you need help with funding for attending HeadsUp, just ask, help may be available.
Coffee and a Chat
For general support with mental wellbeing Somewhere House, a charity based in Burnham, visits The Bluebird Café in Wedmore on the first Wednesday of the month, from 10-12md. They offer an opportunity to meet and chat. For more information contact them on 01278 780769
Cathy Butterworth
Wedmore Health & Wellbeing Project
01934 806266