Author: Susan Mensforth

Unfortunately, we have had to cancel our flu clinic scheduled for Saturday 9th October.

Running the clinics was always dependent on the supply of vaccines arriving in time, and we have just been told our next shipment won’t arrive until later in October.

We are in the process of contacting patients who had book their flu jab for Saturday 9th and rebooking their appointments. We apologise for any inconvenience.

We plan to restart our Saturday clinics once future supplies have been confirmed.

I am pleased to let patients know that our first batch of flu vaccines has arrived at the practice.

This Saturday 11th September, we will be holding our first flu clinic, focussing on vaccinating people aged 65 or over.

Continue reading “Flu Update #3: First vaccines have arrived; Clinic to go ahead this Saturday” →

This week we have begun to send invitations to patients about booking their flu vaccine.

We are sending text messages to patients with details on how to book, including a designated telephone line we have set up. This will make it easier for patients to call and book their flu jab. Please wait to receive an invitation before you call to book.

Who is eligible?

More people than ever before can get a free NHS flu shot this year. We encourage everyone who is eligible to get a flu vaccine to do so. Getting a flu jab is the best way to protect yourself and the people around you and protect the NHS this autumn and winter.

We will be contacting people over 65 first, then adults in clinical risk groups, followed by 50-64-year-olds. This is to offer protection to the most vulnerable patients first.

Here is everyone who can get a free NHS flu jab this year.

• all children aged 2 to 15 (but not 16 years or older) on 31 August 2021
• those aged six months to under 50 years in clinical risk groups
• pregnant women
• those aged 50 years and over
• those in long-stay residential care homes
• carers
• close contacts of immunocompromised individuals
• frontline health and social care staff employed by:
• a registered residential care or nursing home
• registered domiciliary care provider
• a voluntary managed hospice provider
• Direct Payment (personal budgets) and/or Personal Health Budgets, such as Personal Assistants.

You can find full details on flu vaccination eligibility on the NHS website.

Flu Clinics

We will be holding flu clinics on 3 Saturdays in the early autumn. We will be using Holy Name Church Hall on Towers Avenue in Jesmond. You can get directions using the interactive map below, or download our guide with step by step directions to Holy Name from both our practice sites.

Using this larger venue means we can accommodate more people and still maintain social distancing.

The first clinic will focus on eligible people over 65, with the second and third open to anyone eligible and over 18.

The flu clinics dates are:

• Saturday 11 September (over 65)
• Saturday 25 September (over 18)
• Saturday 9 October (over 18)

We are also aiming to start our programme to vaccinate 2- and 3-year-olds in the next two weeks. We will contact parents and guardians of 2-3 year olds, along with those of children in clinical risk groups.