We will be starting our influenza immunisation programme at the practice from September 2022.

The flu vaccine is a safe and effective vaccine. It's offered every year on the NHS to help protect people at risk of getting seriously ill from flu.

The best time to have the flu vaccine is in the autumn or early winter before flu starts spreading. But you can get the vaccine later.

Flu vaccination is important because:

• more people are likely to get flu this winter as fewer people will have built up natural immunity to it during the COVID-19 pandemic
• if you get flu and COVID-19 at the same time, research shows you're more likely to be seriously ill
• getting vaccinated against flu and COVID-19 will provide protection for you and those around you for both these serious illnesses

If you've had COVID-19, it's safe to have the flu vaccine. It will still be effective at helping to prevent flu.

COVID-19 booster vaccine

Some people may be eligible for both the flu and the COVID-19 booster vaccines.

If you are offered both vaccines, it's safe to have them at the same time.

Find out more about the COVID-19 booster vaccine and who can get it

Who can have the flu vaccine?

The flu vaccine is given free on the NHS to people who:

• are 50 and over (including those who'll be 50 by 31 March 2022)
• have certain health conditions
• are pregnant
• are in long-stay residential care
• receive a carer's allowance, or are the main carer for an older or disabled person who may be at risk if you get sick
• live with someone who is more likely to get infections (such as someone who has HIV, has had a transplant or is having certain treatments for cancer, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis)
• frontline health or social care workers

We are scheduled our delivery of flu vaccinations during the last week of September and clinics will start immediately after our delivery.

In the meantime, we will be setting up our flu clinics to enable you to book into. We will be holding clinics on Saturdays, late evenings on some Monday's and also at various times during the week.

Our housebound and care home patients will be contacted by our team to arrange a visit to receive their flu and covid booster vaccine, please do wait to be contacted, our reception team are unable to book those visits in.

Appointments will be available to book into this year via an online booking system which will be sent to you via a text message with a link to directly book into. You can also book appointments by calling the practice during the afternoons or at our reception desks.

We will contact all patients that are eligible for a flu vaccine to invite you to book in via a text message if you have consented to receive sms messages or by letter.

We will update our website regularly with the dates of our flu clinics and when they are available to book into.