Mary, aged 65, has just had a letter from her doctor advising her to get a flu jab. She asks if she can get this at the pharmacy. She hasn't yet made up her mind to have the vaccine because she heard that it did not work well last year and she is also a bit worried that there might be side effects.

Within your team, consider:

• What questions could you ask Mary?
• How could you communicate to Mary the benefits of the flu jab versus the risk of side effects?
• How would you explain the media's focus on the supposed lack of effectiveness of the flu jab in winter 2014/2015?
• How are the viral strains for the flu jab chosen? Why are these sometimes not effective?
• Why is it worthwhile for Mary to have the flu vaccine?