ELDERLY people living in care homes are being targeted in an annual campaign to stop the spread of flu which can be life-threatening to the old and vulnerable.

October marks the sixth annual care home flu jab programme in Chorley.

Teams of community nurses will visit nursing and rest homes for two weeks starting on October 4 to offer immunisation to more than 1,200 residents registered with local GPs.

More than 500 of those residents are eligible for immunisation against pneumococcal infection which will also be offered at the same time.

As a further defence against the risk of infection of vulnerable elderly people, management, admininstration and care staff in the homes will be offered the opportunity to be vaccinated. Dennis Benson, chairman of Chorley and South Ribble Primary Care Trust, said: "We expect numbers to be up considerably this year and this is an encouraging indication that the message is getting home. We are talking life or death here and why anyone could miss out is impossible to understand".

PCT staff will be able to choose from a number of venues for their vaccination.

There is still time for everyone to contact their local GP surgery and to arrange for immunisation Shelagh Garnett, the trust's director of public health,said: "After a series of mild winters, it is easy to be complacent about the threat of flu, but few realise that across the UK between 3,000 and 4,000 deaths are attributable to the complications of flu each year.

"The flu vaccine is the best way of avoiding flu and flu related illnesses, it is safe and effective, and, contrary to popular misconceptions, because it is not 'live' it cannot give you flu."

The flu jab is free to those 65 and over, as well as at risk groups.