Flu vaccine update: Booking your appointment
We will be holding our first flu clinics on Saturday 8th and 22nd of October.
As in previous years, the venue will be Holy Name Church Hall on Towers Avenue in Jesmond.
Each clinic will be appointment only, and there are specific groups able to come to each one, so please read the next section closely before booking.
Please note that the flu vaccination programme runs separately from the Covid Autumn Booster programme. Please refer to our Covid vaccination updates for the latest on Autumn Boosters.
Who can attend the Flu clinics?
We need to prioritise those most susceptible to flu so that the first clinic will have different eligibility criteria from the second.
The first flu clinic on Saturday, 8th October, is for people aged 65 and above (or will be 65 by 31st March 2023) and people aged 18 to 64 who are clinically at risk.
The second clinic on Saturday, 22nd October, will be open to the same groups as the first, adding people aged 50-64 (including those who will be 50 by 31st March 2023).
The 50-64 age group was added to the NHS free flu jab rollout in 2020 and 2021. It will remain in place in 2022, providing extra protection for millions of people and the NHS against the Winter pressures of flu and Covid.
Both sessions will run from 8.30 am to 3.00 pm.
Booking into our flu clinics
We will send you an invitation to book an appointment by text message.
In the message will be a link, which when clicked will take you to our flu clinic booking system. From here you can choose an appointment that suits you.
This is the quickest and easiest way to book your appointment, and the most efficient for the practice. We encourage all patients to book their appointments this way when they receive a text.
Getting to Holy Name Church Hall
Holy Name Church Hall is on Towers Avenue in Jesmond, not far from our 200 Osborne Road location.
From Osborne Road, turn onto North Jesmond Avenue and take the second left onto Towers Avenue. The entrance to Holy Name Church Hall is on your left.
You can also use the location on the interactive map below to get directions.
Other Groups
This week we have begun to contact parents and guardians of 2- and 3-year-olds, inviting them to book appointments for their children. For this younger group, the vaccine is given by a nasal spray, meaning it is needle- and pain-free.
We will send text messages in batches with a link to book your child’s appointment. These appointments will be with our Practice Nurse team at either 17 or 200 Osborne Road.
Please wait for us to contact you for children aged six months to 18 years who are also clinically at risk. We will soon begin to send booking invitations by text messages, followed by a phone call or letter.
All primary school children, and secondary school up to Year 9, will be offered a flu vaccine through their school.
Importance of getting your flu jab
For most people who get flu, it will generally be a mild illness. But it can be severe and even fatal for some people, especially the elderly or those with an existing health condition.
The flu jabs drastically reduce your chance of getting flu – if you get it, it will be milder and shorter. Vaccination protects you, the people around you, and the NHS from increased seasonal pressures.
The Covid Booster Programme
The Autumn Booster programme for Covid vaccinations is running simultaneously with the flu campaign but is a separate process.
The most significant difference is that Covid boosters are not delivered through GP practices.
When it is your turn to get a Covid Booser, you will receive an invitation directly from the NHS. You can book directly through the national online booking system or by calling 119.
As new groups are able to book, we will post updates on our website. We ask patients to check our website for these updates and not call the practice to enquire. We can’t book patients into Covid booster appointments, and increases in phone calls make it harder for other patients to get through to us.