Influenza immunisation clinics start in October. Immunisation is strongly recommended for patients aged 65 or over, or for patients of any age with chronic respiratory disease, including asthma, chronic heart disease, chronic renal failure, diabetes mellitus and immunosuppression due to disease or treatment, including asplenia (absent spleen) or splenic dysfunction.
Carers are also entitled to a free influenza vaccination.
Healthy children aged two to four will also be offered flu vaccination from 2015. See the Childhood Immunisation Clinics section below for more information.
Pneumococcal vaccination is a one off immunisation recommended for at risk groups (excluding carers) and all over age 65. It can be given at any time of the year.
Patients who are at risk are entitled to free immunisation and will be invited to attend for immunisation.
Shingles. The Department of Health has introduced a New National Shingles Immunisation Programme in 2013. It is intended eventually to immunise people aged 70 to 79 but this is being phased in over a number of years. The Surgery is participating in this programme.
From 2015, routine immunisation will be offered to people aged 70, 78 and 79 years to provide protection against shingles. At the same time, a catch-up programme will start and people aged 79 will be offered immunisation.
This is a one-off vaccination and can be given at any time of the year. To find out more about the Shingles vaccine, go to http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vaccinations/Pages/shingles-vaccination.aspx