Winter vaccine information

Both the flu and Covid-19 viruses will be in circulation this winter. Vaccination provides the best possible protection against both illnesses for you, the people you care for and your loved ones.

The seasonal vaccination programme to protect people at greatest risk from flu and Covid-19 is underway. The start date has been brought forward from October in response to risks presented by a new variant of Covid-19.

If you are eligible for both the Covid-19 and flu vaccine, we strongly encourage you to take up the offer of both vaccinations. If available, it is safe to have both vaccines at the same appointment and there is no increase in side effects.

Your GP or local pharmacy will be in touch to invite you to a vaccination clinic. You can also book an appointment using the NHS App, via the online national booking service or by calling 119.

This is a BBC Points West report from September 2023

People eligible for a flu vaccine this year include:

1. those aged 65 years and over
2. those aged 6 months to under 65 years in clinical risk groups
3. pregnant people
4. all children aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August 2023
5. school-aged children (from Reception to Year 11)
6. those in long-stay residential care homes
7. carers in receipt of carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person
8. close contacts of immunocompromised individuals
9. 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

Those eligible for a winter covid-19 vaccine are:

1. residents in a care home for older adults
2. all adults aged 65 years and over
3. persons aged 6 months to 64 years in a clinical risk group, as laid out in the Immunisation Green Book, COVID-19 chapter (Green Book)
4. pregnant people
5. frontline health and social care workers
6. persons aged 12 to 64 years who are household contacts (as defined in the Green Book) of people with immunosuppression
7. persons aged 16 to 64 years who are carers (as defined in the Green Book) and staff working in care homes for older adults.