I got a free flu vaccine - it was so easy and quick and has given me peace of mind

With flu season nearly here, I thought I'd share my recent experience of getting the vaccine which is free if you are pregnant, aged over 65, or have certain health conditions such as asthma.

I used to get a free flu vaccine annually when I worked in London but I have become lax in recent years and would just hope for the best each winter season. Now I have loved ones with cancer and friends who are pregnant, it feels more important to not just protect myself but keep them safe too - just on the chance I'd catch it and pass it on before developing symptoms.

Boots is one of the most famous brands that offers the NHS-funded flu vaccine but independent pharmacies also do it. I booked my flu injection online on the Boots website and was offered an appointment at a branch near me on the same day.

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The process was surprisingly quick and easy to understand and I didn't have to supply any evidence of a health condition. I got to the appointment about five minutes early and wasn't sure where to go but I spoke to a pharmacist who offered me a seat in the waiting area.

Within 10 minutes, I was in a private room and a pharmacist checked my health and if I had any allergies and then asked me to confirm some details and why I was entitled to a free flu vaccine. It was then a case of rolling up a sleeve and waiting for the needle.

I used to be terrified of needles as a kid, although I remember being calm as a toddler. It started when we received injections en masse in primary school and the other children would share exaggerated rumours about how much it hurt and then punch you in the arm afterwards.

Even as a teenager, I would sometimes be crying and shaking and feel really sick from fear. I had to get over it when I later needed blood tests which take longer and are therefore more intense if you have a needle phobia.

My best method to calm anxiety around injections or blood tests is to count really, really loudly inside my head to drown out any other thoughts and focus all my mental energy on keeping my arm as still as possible. I also tell myself it will only take 60 seconds, and I can cope with anything for 60 seconds.

Luckily, these days I might get a flutter of nerves if I see the needle but I'm otherwise OK. The pharmacist at Boots did the injection very quickly, there was a moment of pressure in my arm and then it was over, with a plaster covering the tiniest fleck of blood.

Over the course of the day, my arm was a bit achy. Two days later I got mild symptoms of illness - a headache and tiredness - but it had cleared up by the following morning. It is definitely better than having full-blown flu and I have peace of mind that I'm doing my best to keep myself and others safe.