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Flu and Covid Vaccine Season
If you are attending one of our flu vaccination clinics in October you will have the opportunity to receive the Autumn Covid-19 booster vaccination too if you are eligible.
Why should I have the flu vaccination?
The flu vaccination is important because, while flu is unpleasant for most people, it can be dangerous and potentially life threatening for some people, particularly those with certain health conditions. The best time to have your flu vaccine is in the autumn or early winter before flu starts spreading. But if this isn’t possible for you, we would still advise you have the vaccine later in the season.
Why is it important I have my flu vaccine with my GP practice and not with my local pharmacy/alternative provider?
The flu vaccine season represents a huge expense to your GP Practice, we have dedicated a significant amount of our funding on the season and ensuring we have enough vaccine for our eligible patients.
When you have your flu vaccine with your GP Surgery you are helping us to support patient care at our surgery. Conversely, when you have your vaccine with your pharmacy/alternative provider, the surgery does not receive any funding. At this time, the strains on the NHS are high and we would kindly request, that, wherever it is possible, you have your flu vaccination with us and not an alternative provider. We really appreciate your continued support.
When are the Flu & Covid-19 vaccine clinics this year?
Please note that we are still finalising plans at this stage. If you are unable to attend one of the clinics, please contact us in September and we will do our best to accommodate you with an alternative date. We will be offering mop-up clinics after the 4th of October.
Aged 75 and over: We will have a clinic on the 4th of October 2025 in the morning. If you are eligible, you will receive a text invite from us around 6 weeks before the clinic, if you have a mobile telephone number registered with us. If we do not have a mobile for you, please call the surgery on 0117 9623406 at the end of August/September to make an appointment.
Aged 65 – 75: We will have a clinic on the 4th of October 2025 in the afternoon. You will be eligible for flu but only those who are immunosuppressed will be eligible for Covid-19 too. If we can, and if you are not eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine we may be able to offer you the shingles or pneumococcal vaccine during this clinic alongside the flu vaccination. You will receive a text invite around 6 weeks before the clinic, if you have a mobile telephone registered with us. If we do not have a mobile for you, please call the surgery on 0117 9623406 at the end of August/September to make an appointment.
Under 65 years of age with eligible health condition: We will have a clinic on Friday the 3rd of October 2025 in the afternoon. You will receive a text invite around 6 weeks before the clinic, if you have a mobile telephone registered with us. If we do not have a mobile for you, please call the surgery on 0117 9623406 at the end of August/September to make an appointment.
Please note that the flu vaccine is different depending on whether you are aged over or under 65 years of age. The clinics are not interchangeable i.e., a 66-year-old cannot attend an Under 65s clinic and vice versa.
Will I be offered the Covid-19 Vaccine at the same time?
Yes. If you are eligible for the Covid-19 vaccination you will be offered the vaccine at the same time as your flu vaccination. We will co-administer wherever possible during our flu clinics.
Due to the pressures on the NHS we are not able to offer you two separate appointments, one for each vaccine. During our mass clinics, we are not able to offer Covid-19 vaccine only appointments, but you can just have the flu vaccine if you wish/if you are not eligible for flu and Covid.
In previous years I have been offered an appointment in September, why do I have to wait until October this year?
Based on the evidence that flu vaccine’s effectiveness can wane over time in adults, the start of the programme was moved back to the beginning of October to coincide better with the expected peak of the flu season, later in the year. As flu circulation in children normally precedes that in adults, the children’s programme will start in September as soon as the delivery supply allows. Pregnant women can also receive the vaccine in September as soon as the delivery supply allows.
Which Covid-19 Vaccine will I receive?
At this stage we have not been informed of which vaccination we will receive. As in previous years, no alternatives will be available.
How do I book an appointment for my vaccination?
If you have a registered mobile number with us, you will be sent a message which will allow you to click a link and book an appointment directly in our system. We will send the message around 6 weeks before the clinic date. If you do not have a smart phone, please contact the surgery on 0117 9623406 to make an appointment via our reception team. We no longer write to patients to inform you that you are due a vaccination so please do contact us.
Who is eligible for the flu vaccine?
The flu vaccine is given free on the NHS to adults from the 1st of October who:
- are 65 and over
- aged 18 years to under 65 years in clinical risk groups (if you are eligible you will receive an invite from us)
- are in long-stay residential care
- receive a carer's allowance, or are the main carer for an older or disabled person who may be at risk if you get sick
- live with someone who is more likely to get a severe infection due to a weakened immune system, such as someone living with HIV, someone who has had a transplant, or is having certain treatments for cancer, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis
Please note that healthy 50-64 year olds are not eligible for the flu vaccine this year.
In addition to the above, from the 1st of September, pregnant women and children aged 2-3 years (on 31st of August 2024) are eligible. If you are in this group, we will be in touch as soon as we have the vaccine available to offer you (delivery dates are yet to be confirmed).
Who is eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine this autumn?
- Adults aged 75 years and over
- Residents in a care home for older adults
- Persons aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed.
Frontline health and social care workers, staff working in care homes for older adults, unpaid carers and household contacts of people with immunosuppression are not eligible this autumn.
Published: Aug 11, 2025