Eligible groups

All groups relating to immunosuppressed, health conditions, at risk and carers remain eligible if required. Please check with your local Participating Community Pharmacy to see if they can provide this service at this time. Pregnancy flu can be given (via community Midwife).

Choose from the list below to find out the winter vaccination programme details for your patient group.

Who will be offered seasonal winter vaccinations?

This winter season 2021-2022, vaccinations will be offered slightly differently than in previous years to accommodate both flu vaccination and those patients eligible for the COVID-19 Booster vaccination.

Care Home Residents and Staff

Local Health board staff will make contact with Care Homes directly. Mop-up vaccination available via booking on portal from 21st September for any workers who miss vaccination on site.

All those 65 years of age and over

All those aged 65 years of age and over

Age 65 and over remain eligible via Participating Community Pharmacy.

Frontline Health and Social Care Workers

Workplace and national tailored communication; book via national online portal from 21st September.

Flu vaccination information for Healthcare workers

Flu vaccination information for Social Care workers

Independent NHS contractors, (GP, dental and optometry practices, community pharmacists)

Who can get the Flu Vaccination?

All NHS Grampian staff
Other staff who are eligible include: GPs, dentists, pharmacists, healthcare students, Practitioner Services, Scottish Ambulance Service and Blood Transfusion Service

Where can you get the Flu Vaccination?

Flu vaccinations will be available through:

Peer Vaccination. GPs offering peer vaccination must register to receive vaccine delivery to the practice.
Book via national online portal from 21st September.

Peer vaccination will once again be offered to colleagues across NHS Grampian.

Adults aged 16 to 49 years in an at-risk group (underlying conditions set out in the Green Book plus adult household contacts of people with immunosuppression and unpaid carers)

Adults aged 16 to 49 years in an at-risk group will be invited to their local immunisation clinic. Letters will be sent offering covaccination for COVID-19 Booster and flu.

Conditions and diseases which can make flu more dangerous include:

asthma
stroke
bronchitis
liver problems such as cirrhosis/hepatitis
emphysema
diabetes
cystic fibrosis
asplenia or dysfunction of the spleen
chronic heart disease
being very overweight
chronic kidney failure
HIV infection.

Anyone undergoing chemotherapy treatment or on medication that reduces their immunity is at higher risk and should also get immunised.

Severely Immunosuppressed Patients

Patients who are severely immunosuppressed will be eligible for both flu vaccination and a 3rd primary dose of COVID-19 Vaccine. Please note this is not a “booster” dose, it is a third primary dose and as such only 8 weeks is required between 2nd dose COVID-19 and third primary dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Letters will be sent out from the 4th October.

Household contact of severely immunosuppressed

How to book an appointment

Household contacts of severely immunosuppressed patients are eligible for free flu vaccination this year.

You may be provided with a letter appointment or you may be asked to self refer online. Online self-registration will be available from the end of October.

Unpaid and Young Carers

If you are the main carer for an elderly or disabled person, who may be put at risk if you became ill, you will be eligible for a free flu jab

How to book an appointment

You may be asked to self register online similar to the way you were invited for COVID-19 vaccination. Online self-registration will be available from the mid November. An appointment will then be made for you at a local vaccination centre.

Those aged 6 months to 15 years who have certain underlying health conditions which increase risk

At risk patients will be identified as eligible for the flu vaccination this season due to their diagnosed health condition. Children aged over 12 years and adults may also be eligible for the COVID-19 Booster vaccination. Eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccination criteria include age, underlying health condition and 6 months gap between your 2nd COVID vaccine dose and the booster dose.

How to access your winter vaccinations

You may be sent a letter with an appointment, or you may be asked to self register for an appointment.

At your appointment you will be offered the vaccines which you are eligible for. This may be flu only for children aged under 12 years, or flu vaccination and the COVID-19 Booster vaccine for other patients.

The flu vaccine for children may be an injectable vaccine or the nasal spray, some children may require 2 doses if it is their first flu vaccination.

If you have only recently received your 2nd dose of COVID-19 vaccine, but are eligible for the booster vaccine, this will be offered at a later date once the 6 month period is reached.

Conditions and diseases which can make flu more dangerous include:

asthma
stroke
bronchitis
liver problems such as cirrhosis/hepatitis
emphysema
diabetes
cystic fibrosis
asplenia or dysfunction of the spleen
chronic heart disease
being very overweight
chronic kidney failure
HIV infection.

You may be eligible to have the vaccine as a nasal spray. For more information visit the NHS Inform child flu page.

2 – 5 year old pre-school children

2 - 5 years old pre-school children

How to book an appointment

Pre-school children aged 2-5 years

Parents and guardians will receive an appointment by mail for their child to attend one of our vaccination centres across Grampian to receive their flu vaccination.

If your appointment is not suitable call the NHS Grampian flu helplines on:

Aberdeenshire 0330 128 9919

Aberdeen City 0800 030 4713

Moray 0345 337 9899

Primary and Secondary age school children – Flu programme

All primary and secondary school children receive their flu vaccination at school. Look out for a letter, leaflets and consent form coming home from school.

Children who are home educated will also be offered the vaccine, provided they’re in an eligible age group.

Primary and Secondary School pupils who have missed their immunisation session in school and should be issued with a leaflet with missed vaccination information on it.

Sorry we missed you leaflet

Participating pharmacies can be found here: Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray  (pdf).

5 – 11 years old children in a school setting

5 - 11 year old children in a school setting

Primary and Secondary age school children – Flu programme

All primary school children receive their flu vaccination at school. Look out for a letter, leaflets and consent form coming home from school.

Children who are home educated will also be offered the vaccine, provided they’re in an eligible age group.

Primary and Secondary School pupils who have missed their immunisation session in school and should be issued with a leaflet with missed vaccination information on it.

Sorry we missed you leaflet

This patient group will continue via School Immunisation Team.

Pregnancy

The Royal College of Midwives along with Scotland’s Chief Medical and Chief Nursing Officers recommend that all pregnant women should have the free flu vaccine, even if you’ve had it before or this isn’t your first baby.

How to book an appointment

Pregnancy vaccination is provided by community midwives in the Grampian area. Your community midwife will arrange your vaccination at the appropriate ante natal appointment.