COVID-19 and Flu Vaccinations

BACK TO MAIN INDEX

Autumn 2022

We will once again be offering covid and flu vaccinations to eligible patients from early October and will be co-administering the vaccinations as much as possible to reduce the number of appointments needed to vaccinate a large number of patients. Some "flu only" clinics will be available, starting with patients aged 65 and over or in a clinically at risk group.

Our flu vaccine delivery is scheduled for the last week of September, together with our first delivery of covid vaccines.

Unfortunately, the number of covid vaccines available to each vaccination site has been restricted nationally for the first few weeks and so our early clinics will be strictly limited by the number of vaccines we receive.

Once covid vaccine availability is increased we will be able to hold larger and more frequent clinics but until confirmed we do not wish to book appointments which may need to be cancelled at short notice.

Eligible cohorts for the autumn covid booster are:

• residents in a care home for older adults and staff working in care homes for older adults
• frontline health and social care workers
• persons aged 5 to 49 years in a clinical risk group
• persons aged 5 to 49 years who are household contacts of people with immunosuppression
• persons aged 16 to 49 years who are carers
• all adults aged 50 years and over

Eligible cohorts for the 2022-23 flu vaccination are:

• those aged 65 years and over
• those aged six months to under 65 years in clinical risk groups     
• pregnant women
• carers
• close contacts of immunocompromised individuals

Additionally, once the above cohorts have been invited and vaccinated, 50 to 64 year olds not in clinical risk groups (including those who turn 50 by 31/3/23)

Please note:

• The autumn covid booster can be administered no sooner than 91 days after a previous dose.
• We will be inviting patients using the nationally defined criteria which means that our most elderly or vulnerable patients will be invited first – our first invitations will be sent to patients aged 75 or over.
• Patients aged 50-65 will be called once the initial cohorts have been invited.
• Housebound patients will be contacted and arrangements made to visit throughout October.
• All combined covid and flu clinics will be held at Horsmonden Surgery.

Child flu clinics will be scheduled for November and we will be offering the nasal flu vaccine to children aged 2 to pre school entry and to those who are immunocompromised (if not administered at school). Appointment dates and times will be sent to eligible patients. All other child flu vaccines must be administered at school or, in the case of home schooled children, arranged via School Nursing Team at Community Clinics.

Thank you for your understanding and please be patient and wait for your invitation. As you can see, we are limited in the number of appointments we will be able to offer initially and so if you are not invited please do not book in to a clinic as we may need to cancel your appointment.

Published: Sep 8, 2022