As Ireland prepares for a difficult flu season, research from LloydsPharmacy has given an insight into the change in behaviours by Westmeath consumers when it comes to health and wellbeing.
In total, 57 percent of participants in a recent survey who are living in Westmeath were found to have recently made changes to their life to help make their health more of a priority.
The LloydsPharmacy Winter Health Index has been created to monitor people’s changes in attitudes and actions surrounding healthier living, preventative health measures, and a better understanding of their overall health. Research has been conducted by Empathy research on behalf of LloydsPharmacy.
Ways in which those living in Westmeath have made positive improvements to their health since COVID-19 include- eating healthier, with over half (55 percent ) spending more time outdoors and the addition of daily vitamin supplements (59% ) were the key contributing factors.
A healthy and balanced diet is the best way to get your daily essential vitamins. Vitamins and supplements can help you to ensure you are getting all you need to ensure you stay healthy. Along with Vitamin D, Vitamin C is also vital for protection from colds & flu and building a strong immune system. For people who don’t consume enough Vitamin C and D rich foods, taking daily vitamins will ensure they reach the recommend daily intake of each vitamin, boosting their immune system for the winter months ahead.
Recent insight from LloydsPharmacy have also shown an increase in sales of over the counter cold and flu medication (up 44% ) on last year when it comes to battling signs of colds and coughs. The highly trained LloydsPharmacy teams are on hand in all pharmacies to discuss customers individual needs dependent on their lifestyle and advise on what suits their needs best. A wide range of Vitamins and Supplements are available online and in-store with new brands and products added throughout the year to suit all budgets and lifestyles.
As Ireland prepares for a tough winter flu period and the recent surge of COVID-19, 6 in 10 adults in Westmeath claim they are more likely to get the flu vaccine this year because of the pandemic. This sees and increase on 2020 figures where just 4 in 10 of those surveyed claimed to have received a flu vaccine. The flu vaccine is available for free to those in at risk groups.
Children are twice as likely to get the flu than adults, now those aged 2-17 years can also avail of the nasal spray flu vaccine for free across participating LloydsPharmacy stores nationwide. Administered as a small spray into each nostril of a child’s nose, the vaccine will help protect children against flu and reduce the spread of flu to others.
