Dr Tony Jewell said anyone in regular clinical contact with patients should protect ‘themselves, their patients and their colleagues’ by getting the vaccine. This would also set a good example to members of the public, he said.
Uptake last year was just 12% in Wales.
Dr Jewell said: ‘Eligibility is not about job title, but the work an individual is actually doing: if a person is providing frontline healthcare, they should have the vaccine.
‘Vaccinating staff will also prevent disruption to the NHS due to staff absence. Our increasingly harsh winters are putting increasing pressure on the NHS and we need to do everything in our power to continue providing a good service to the people of Wales.’
Welsh CMO calls for NHS flu vaccination
Health professionals should be vaccinated against seasonal flu, the Welsh CMO has urged.
