The main COVID-19 and Flu vaccination campaign will commence on Thursday 3rd October 2024.
COVID-19 Vaccination
Your GP practice is unable to make an appointment for your COVID-19 vaccination. The main flu and COVID-19 vaccination campaign will commence on Thursday 3rd October 2024.
Patients will be able to book appointments online from Monday 23rd September. Book, cancel or change a COVID-19 vaccination appointment – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Who is eligible for COVID-19 Vaccination?
The groups to be offered a COVID-19 vaccine in autumn/winter 2024/25 are:
- residents in a care home for older adults
- all adults aged 65 years and over
- persons aged 6 months to 64 years in a clinical risk group, as defined in tables 3 and 4 of the COVID-19 chapter of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) Green Book on immunisation against infectious disease
- Health & Social Care workers
To check if you are eligible, use the link at Book, cancel or change a COVID-19 vaccination appointment – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Flu Vaccination
Your GP practice will contact you to offer you a flu vaccination if you are eligible and you may already have received a text to book your appointment. Please try to support your local GP practice by having your Flu vaccine at the practice where the supply of vaccine has already been ordered and will be available for eligible patients.
Who is eligible for Flu Vaccination ?
This year Flu vaccine is available for the following groups:
From 1 September 2024:
- pregnant women
- all children aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August 2024
- primary school aged children (from Reception to Year 6)
- secondary school aged children (from Year 7 to Year 11)
- all children in clinical risk groups aged from 6 months to less than 18 years
From 03 October 2024:
- those aged 65 years and over
- those aged 18 years to under 65 years in clinical risk groups (as defined by the Green Book, Influenza Chapter 19)
- those in long-stay residential care homes
- carers in receipt of carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person
- close contacts of immunocompromised individuals
- frontline workers in a social care setting without an employer led occupational health scheme including those working for a registered residential care or nursing home, registered domiciliary care providers, voluntary managed hospice providers and those that are employed by those who receive direct payments (personal budgets) or Personal Health budgets, such as Personal Assistants
Housebound Patients
We are in the process of contacting registered housebound patients to advise when we will visit. Please do not call your GP practice. If you are registered in one of our practices (check here https://gphp.co.uk/our_projects/appointments-with-a-gp/) and in the event you have not been contacted by 1st November 2024, please call us on 01372 232001.
Care Homes
Arrangements are also being made to ensure that all CQC-Registered Care Homes within our area are visited to provide COVID and Flu Vaccinations to eligible Residents.
COVID-19 and Flu at the same time?
Patients are advised that it is recommended to have both the COVID-19 and Flu vaccination at the same appointment when offered together, as they are for Housebound and Care Home Residents. Side effects are not worse when you have the COVID-19 and Flu vaccines at the same time, and many people prefer to have the vaccinations together to limit the time they may experience any side effects.
The protection provided by the COVID-19 and Flu vaccines reduces over time for everyone, and both viruses are good at evolving into new variants that spread in different ways. We overcome this by asking the people at highest risk from a COVID-19 or flu infection to ‘boost’ their immunity with additional vaccinations.
What about RSV Vaccine ?
Please note we are unable to offer the RSV vaccine at your appointment. Your GP surgery will usually contact you about getting the RSV vaccine. You can check your eligibility here RSV vaccine – NHS (www.nhs.uk).
