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
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 70 years of age and over
All those aged 70 years of age and over
Everyone over the age of 70 years will be invited to their local immunisation clinic. Letters will begin being send out on the w/c 27th September offering covaccination for COVID-19 Booster and flu. Housebound patients will be vaccinated through a home visit by Community/District Nurse teams.
Frontline Health and Social Care Workers
Frontline Health and Social Care Workers
Workplace and national tailored communication; book via national online portal from 21st September.
Independent NHS contractors, (GP, dental and optometry practices, community pharmacists)
Independent NHS contractors, (GP, dental and optometry practices, community pharmacists)
- 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 (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.
All those 60 to 69 years of age
All those 60 to 69 years of age
Everyone over the age of 60 years will be invited to their local immunisation clinic. Letters will be sent offering covaccination for COVID-19 Booster and flu.
Letters for the 60-69 year old patient cohort have started to be issued and will arrive over the next 2 weeks.
All those 50 – 59 years of age
All those 50 to 59 years of age
Online booking portal opens mid November to allow generic booking (offering covaccination for COVID-19 Booster and flu). Follow up letters will be sent to anyone who has not booked an appointment after a period of time.
Severely Immunosuppressed Patients
Severely Immunosuppressed Patients
Letters will be sent out from the 4th October.
Household contact of severely immunosuppressed
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
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
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.
Participating pharmacies can be found here: Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray (pdf).
5 – 18 years old children in a school setting
5 - 18 year old children in a school setting
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.
Participating pharmacies can be found here: Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray (pdf).
Teachers, nursery teachers and support staff in close contact with pupils
Teachers, nursery teachers and support staff in close contact with pupils
This year the Scottish Government extended the flu programme to teaching staff in both Nursery, primary and secondary school settings. Local Authority setting based staff will be offered their vaccination when the immunisation team visit the school.
Private Nursery staff will be issued with a letter via their employer with details on how to access their flu vaccine.
School teachers and eligible school staff who have missed their immunisation session in school will be provided with a leaflet detailing how to access the flu vaccine.
Participating pharmacies can be found here: Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray (pdf).
Pregnancy
Pregnancy
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.
Prison staff and support staff in close contact with the prison population (delivering direct detention services)
Prison staff and support staff in close contact with the prison population (delivering direct detention services)
In response to the ongoing COVID19 pandemic the Scottish Government announced extended patient groups eligible for the seasonal flu vaccine this season, which includes prison officers.
Immunisation team will visit to their place of work.
Prison officers who have missed the immunisation team visit to their place of work, on production of ID badge can attend a participating community pharmacy from 1st November 2021.
Participating pharmacies can be found here: Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray (pdf).
Not eligible
Not eligible
If you are not in one of the eligible groups for the free flu immunisation, you can get the vaccine in many high street pharmacies for a small fee.
Your Questions Answered - FAQs
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the flu vaccine, please visit our FAQs page
CONTACT
Please contact your local flu helpline:
Aberdeenshire: 0330 128 9919 (available 8:45am - 4:30pm)
Aberdeen City: 0800 030 4713 (available 9am - 5pm)
Moray: 0345 337 9899
(available 8:30am - 4.30pm)
National Helpline (available 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week)
0800 030 8013
Visit NHS Inform for further information on the Flu Vaccination programme
Watch our Videos
You can find out more by watching ...
Our flu information videos.
Copyright © NHS Grampian 2021