Flu Vaccination

Flu Vaccination

The below groups will be eligible for a Flu vaccine from the 1st September 2024 with additional cohort eligibility from 3rd October 2024

Cohort Eligibility – Flu National flu immunisation programme 2024 to 2025 letter – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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 3^rd 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

All frontline health care workers, including both clinical and non-clinical staff who have contact with patients, should be offered flu vaccine from 3rd October. Social care workers directly working with people clinically vulnerable to flu should also have the flu vaccine provided by their employer. 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 to book a Flu vaccine

If you’re eligible for an NHS Flu vaccine, you can get your vaccine from:

• Your GP surgery
• If resident in a care home a PCN team will arrange a visit to administer the vaccination at the care home (teams will co-administer Flu and Covid-19 where able to)
• National booking system Vaccinations National Booking Service – NHS England Digital
• A pharmacy that offers NHS Flu Vaccination (if aged 18 or above) https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/prescriptions-and-pharmacies/pharmacy-nhs-flu-vaccine-service/  if you:
  • Are aged 65 years old or over (inc if you’ll be 65 by the 31^st of March)
  • You have certain long-term health conditions.
  • You are a front-line worker in a social care setting and who cannot get a vaccination from your employer.
  • The pharmacy will tell you how and when you can book your vaccination.
  • Some maternity services (if you are pregnant)
  • You should have the Flu vaccine if you are pregnant to help protect you and your baby. It’s safe to have a Flu vaccine at any stage of pregnancy https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/flu-jab-vaccine-pregnant/

The age cohorts for flu and COVID-19 vaccinations have been aligned and facilitate co-administration where possible.

Health & Social Care Staff

As a frontline health or social care professional, you’re more likely to be exposed to these viruses. And of course, they can also be passed on to the people you care for, including care home residents, those with weakened immune systems and underlying health conditions.

Getting both vaccines (Flu and Covid-19) ahead of winter, when the viruses spread more easily, are two of the most important things you can do to keep yourself and others around you safe, so you can continue to be there for the people you care for. 

Health and social care workers will be invited for their Flu vaccine through their employer (if they have an employer led occupational health scheme). We urge staff to come forward to get protection against both flu and COVID-19. Those without an occupational health scheme can access through their GP or participating pharmacies  Find a pharmacy that offers free flu vaccination – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Find out how to access a Covid-19 Vaccine COVID-19 vaccination – Provider Engagement Network (devon.gov.uk)

Health and social care workers with vouchers

If you have been given a voucher for a flu vaccine by your employer, you’ll be able to use this at a pharmacy that offers this service. Check with the pharmacy if they’ll accept the voucher.

If you’re a social care worker who is eligible to have a flu vaccine on the NHS, you do not need to present your ID at a pharmacy. However, if your employer can provide you with a letter identifying you as a social care worker it may make things easier on the day.

You can find out more information about both vaccines by visiting www.nhs.uk/flujab and www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccine.

Important

It is important to go to your vaccination appointments unless, you have a high temperature or feel too unwell to go to work or do your normal activities.

Protect yourself this winter. Get your flu and COVID-19 vaccinations as soon as you they offered to you. Vaccination poster

Outreach Vaccination Fund

The Outreach Vaccination Fund has been established to support the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector to run innovative engagement activities that increase vaccination confidence and uptake.

A £30,000 access and inequalities funding pot has been made available through our vaccination optimisation team. The fund is mainly focused on activities related to COVID-19 and flu vaccinations, but proposals are also welcome for other vaccinations such as RSV, MMR, HPV, and Pertussis (whooping cough).

The fund is mainly focused on activities related to COVID-19 and flu vaccinations, but proposals are also welcome for other vaccinations such as RSV, MMR, HPV, and Pertussis (whooping cough).

For more information and how to apply, visit our website. If you have any questions, please contact Aggie Szpinda.

Resources

Further information about vaccination Why Vaccination is important and the safest way to protect yourself.

Flu and covid video – Flu and Covid vaccine