NHS vaccinations

The following groups of people are eligible for a Covid booster:

• residents in a care home for older adults
• people aged 65 years and over (including those who'll be 65 by 31 March 2025)
• people aged 5 to 64 years in a clinical risk group
• frontline health and social care workers

We are still awaiting full clarification on Covid vaccination eligibility regarding frontline health and social care workers.

As we have not been commissioned to provide Covid Vaccinations to young people who are aged 5 to 17, other local  clinics, or schools will be offering these. We will post these on our website and Facebook page when we are notified.

The National Booking Service (NBS) for clinics elsewhere, will be available only after 23rd September.

To find out more about the Autumn Covid Booster programme click here

It’s important to make sure that your child has all of their routine childhood vaccinations. It’s the most effective way of keeping them protected against infectious diseases.

Ideally, children should have their vaccinations at the right age to protect them as early as possible and to minimise the risk of infection.

Your GP will be able to tell you what vaccinations children need. You can also find more information about children’s vaccinations and benefits on the NHS website.

Seasonal flu is a highly infectious illness that’s caused by a flu virus. The virus infects your lungs and upper airways, and can cause a high temperature, aches and pains. A flu vaccination can help limit your risk of getting the flu.

Our surgery offers flu vaccinations to patients. We offer two routine vaccinations – one for patients under 65 years and another vaccine for patients over 65 years.

You can contact the surgery to find out more about flu vaccinations or visit the NHS website.

There are two types of flu vaccines being used again this year: one for those aged 65 and above and another for those under 65. Those who qualify for a FREE jab are:

• people aged 65 and over (including those who'll be 65 by 31 March 2025)
• people who have certain health conditions. Click here for details.
• women who are pregnant
• people who are in long-stay residential care and care home staff
• those in receipt of carer's allowance, or are the main carer for an older or disabled person who may be at risk if you get sick. If you have just become a carer, please let us know.
• people who live with someone who is more likely to get infections (such as someone who has HIV, has had a transplant or is having certain treatments for cancer, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis)
• frontline health and social care workers

We will be giving routine nasal vaccinations against flu to children aged 2 to 3 years, born between 01/09/2020 and 31/09/2022, and also those aged 6 months up to 18 years in the clinically at risk groups.  Please note that if your child misses any vaccinations given at school you should call 0300 2470082 (Devon) or 01872 221105 (Cornwall) to be advised.

To find out more about the Flu vaccination programme click here

We offer routine vaccinations and general advice to our patients travelling abroad who may need to be vaccinated.

We recommend booking an appointment to see your GP and help plan for your trip. It may take up to eight weeks for a full course of vaccinations, so please contact us well in advance to give yourself plenty of time if you’re planning to go abroad where you’re required to be vaccinated.

Some vaccinations are ordered on a private prescription and not on the NHS, which means that these will be charged for. Your GP will be able to tell you which vaccinations you need, when you need them and if you will need to pay for them.

You can book an appointment to see your GP using our online system. You can also find useful information about travel vaccinations on the Travel vaccinations page on the NHS website.

A vaccine to prevent shingles, a common, painful skin disease has been offered to those in 70-79 age group. This is now changing with an increased roll out to those who are younger. 

From 1 September 2023:

• Those aged 70-79 will still be able to get the shingles vaccine from their GP practice. They will either be offered one dose of Zostavax or two doses of Shingrix (6 to 12 months apart)
• All those aged 50 and over with a weakened immune system will be offered two doses of the Shingrix vaccine by their GP practice (8 weeks to 6 months apart).
• Those turning 65 and 70 will be offered two doses of the Shingrix vaccine (6 to 12 months apart) by their GP practice as they become eligible (eligibility will go down to 60 years old in September 2028).

Research has shown that once people turn 80 it is no longer effective.

For NHS information regarding shingles vaccinations click HERE

Dependant on age, the shingles vaccine is usually given as a single injection into the upper arm. You can have it at any time of the year.

The shingles vaccine is expected to reduce your risk of getting shingles. If you do go on to have the disease, your symptoms may be milder and the illness shorter.

Shingles can be very painful and uncomfortable. Some people are left with pain lasting for years after the initial rash has healed. Shingles is also fatal for around 1 in 1,000 over-70s who develop it.

It's fine to have the shingles vaccine if you've already had shingles.  Once you've had it, you don't need to have another. The shingles vaccine works very well in people who have had shingles before and it will boost your immunity against further shingles attacks.

The surgery will be reminding patients that are eligible for this vaccine to make an appointment with the Practice Nurse. If you think you are eligible for a Shingles vaccination and haven't yet been contacted, please get in touch.

A wealth of information about pneumonia and the vaccine you can  have against it can be found at Pneumonia Aware 

Like the shingles vaccination it is usually a once-only vaccination.