AN anti-vaccination sign placed in the window of a Hexham business has come under fire.

Twenty First Century Herbs, on Market Street, had installed the sign in its window last weekend advising passers-by “Do not vaccinate! Please do not come in if you have had the flu jab.”

Pictures were shared hundreds of times on social media, with some strongly criticising the owner’s stance.

But owner Nik Imrye said it had not affected his business. “I am not against people having vaccines. I wanted people to look at it themselves and think about it. I have read research that shows the flu vaccine is only 15 per cent effective overall. Personally I would rather the NHS spent its money on nurses and doctors than a vaccine that has been proven to be only 15 per cent effective.”

In response, Public Health England pointed to advice on its website which read: “Studies have shown that the flu vaccine will help prevent you getting the flu.

“It will not stop all flu viruses and the level of protection may vary, so it’s not a 100 per cent guarantee that you’ll be flu-free. But if you do get flu after vaccination, it’s likely to be milder and shorter-lived than it would otherwise have been.”

It pointed to the full advice on its website: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/flu-influenza-vaccine/