Vaccinations

Does Age Affect The Risk Of Flu?

Yes. If you are aged 65 years or over or you are at higher risk

Who is at risk?

  • If you are aged 65 years or over or if you are on regular inhaled steroids
  • If you have a chronic respiratory disease (including asthma)
  • If you have chronic heart disease
  • If you have chronic renal disease
  • If you are diabetic
  • If you have a weak immune system
  • If you live in a long-stay residential or nursing home
  • If you have a chronic liver disease
  • If you are a carer

IMMUNISATION

Do I Need To Be Protected Against Pneumococcal Infection?

Everybody aged 65 and over should now be immunised to help protect them against pneumococcal infection which can cause diseases such as pneumonia, septicaemia (blood poisoning) and meningitis. Please phone the surgery during September to make an appointment if the above applies to you.

Travel Vaccinations

You may be recommended to have vaccinations against the risk of contracting some diseases before you travel abroad.

If you are intending to travel abroad, please fill out our AccuRx form [link to AccuRx] to explain when you intend to travel and where you are going. The vaccinations you may be recommended to have will vary from country to country, or areas within a country, and from time to time. Your own immunisation history may also affect which vaccinations you may need. Please give us as much information as you can so we can determine which vaccinations you should have.

Please let us know at least 8 weeks before you travel as more than one appointment may be needed and some vaccines need a number of weeks before the protections they offer become most effective. We do not keep travel vaccines in stock and these need to be ordered as needed.

You will also need to complete our [Travel Risk Assessment Form]. Hand this to our reception staff when completed, or sent electronically via email to reception.harrismemorial@nhs.net.

Further information about countries and vaccinations can be found at: https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home

These travel vaccinations are offered free by GP surgeries on the NHS:

  • · Cholera
  • · Hepatitis A
  • · Poliomyelitis (Polio)
  • · Typhoid fever

Vaccinations against other diseases may be recommended for travel to different parts of the world at different times, but these are not provided for free under the GMS contract. These must be ordered as a private prescription and will incur a cost above the normal NHS prescription charge.

Patients may be able to find out which other vaccinations are recommended by attending a private travel clinic or finding information on the internet, for example https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice or https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/travel-vaccinations/available-travel-vaccines/

It is not always possible for us to provide appointments for private travel vaccinations when you need them, as we must prioritise appointment capacity for delivering NHS contracted services.

Healthcare in Europe

If you are travelling to Europe the EU has published useful information for travellers on the European website: https://europa.eu/european-union/life/healthcare_en

Page last reviewed: 27 October 2023
Page created: 27 October 2023