Flu Clinic 2024

NHS Flu Information

Who is eligible for the flu vaccination?

Eligibility for flu vaccination is based on the advice and recommendations of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). This includes a vaccination programme for children based on JCVI’s 2012 recommendation, using live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) which provides individual protection to the child and reduces transmission in the wider population.

The following groups are to be offered flu vaccination in line with the announced and authorised cohorts (see timings section):

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 October 2024, exact start date to be confirmed by NHS England in due course:

• those aged 65 years and over
• Those aged 18 to under 65 years in clinical risk groups, such as the below groups:
  • respiratory conditions, such as asthma (needing a steroid inhaler or tablets), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including emphysema and bronchitis.
  • diabetes
  • heart conditions, such as coronary heart disease or heart failure
  • being very overweight – a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above
  • chronic kidney disease
  • liver disease, such as hepatitis
  • some neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), or cerebral palsy
  • a learning disability
  • problems with your spleen like sickle cell disease, or if you’ve had your spleen removed
  • a weakened immune system as a result of conditions such as HIV and AIDS, or taking medicines such as steroid tablets or chemotherapy

• 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

All frontline health care workers, including both clinical and non-clinical staff who have contact with patients, should be offered flu vaccine from October (exact start date to be confirmed in due course) as a vital part of the organisations’ policy for the prevention of the transmission of flu. Social care workers directly working with people clinically vulnerable to flu should also have the flu vaccine provided by their employer. There are circumstances where frontline staff, employed by specific social care providers without access to employer led occupational health schemes (see cohort eligibility above), can access the vaccine through the NHS free of charge.

How do I book my flu appointment?

We will be sending invitations to eligible patients that provide additional options to book online or by telephone.

We shall be holding our Flu clinics on Saturday the 5th and 19th of October 2024.

What if I am housebound?

We will contact our household patients directly to offer an at-home vaccination. Unfortunately we will not be able to provide more specific arrival times than those provided at the time of booking.

If you are newly housebound please contact the surgery to inform us of this. We will check with your GP to see if a home vaccination is possible and contact you to advise of the outcome.

What if I cannot attend my flu vaccination appointment?

If you are unable to attend your flu vaccination appointment, please cancel this via the NHS App, via our Online Services, or by telephone at 01202 670111.

What can I expect when I attend my appointment:

Please arrive as close to your appointment time as possible to reduce queues.

Please do not attend with another person unless they are a carer.

Please wear appropriate clothing so that you are ready for your injection.