“I always have my flu jab but this year I hadn’t got round to booking it – I won’t do that again!”

Great great grandmother Kathleen Sargent was admitted to Walsall Manor Hospital after contracting flu which she says has really taken its toll on her health.

Kathleen has the lung condition COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and started to feel ill at her Blakenall home last week.

“I couldn’t breathe at one point and when my daughter came round she phoned for an ambulance,” explained the 82 year old. “I just felt so ill and wasn’t really with it.

“Me and my husband always have our flu jabs but this year we hadn’t got round to booking it and the time has just passed us by. I won’t do that again because I don’t want to feel this ill again and end up in hospital as I have done.

“I would tell anyone else thinking about whether to have the jab to make sure they do because it does protect you – even if you get the flu it can mean you’re not as badly affected. As soon as I’m out of hospital and well enough I’ll be getting mine.”

Lisa Carroll, Chief Nursing Officer at Walsall Healthcare and The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trusts said: “We thank Kathleen for sharing her story and wish her well in her recovery.

“As she has described, flu is so much more than a cough or cold – it can really knock you off your feet, particularly if you have other health conditions. Vaccination is the best way to protect yourselves and your families this flu season.

We encourage eligible people in our communities to take up the offer of a free flu jab by visiting https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/vaccination-and-booking-services/book-flu-vaccination/ for details.”