Flu Campaign 2023
The September newsletter is usually the time in the year when we at the Surgery notify everyone of our upcoming Flu clinics. Continuing this year, as part of the new GP contract, immunisations have been completely removed from General Practice. We did advise the Health Board that we would be happy to continue to providing Flu vaccines for our local population but we have not been asked to do so. Therefore flu vaccines will continue to be getting delivered by the P&K Immunisation team, whom many of you will have encountered already during the Covid Booster campaign.
They have also begun delivering Shingles and Pneumococcal vaccines to our eligible patients. You will receive an invite letter for these too if you are eligible. The Shingles eligibility for the 2023-24 has changed from previous years, now you are eligible if:
- Aged Over 50 on 1st September 2023 and are severely immunosuppressed
- Aged between 65 & 70 on 1st September 2023
- Aged 71-79 and not previously vaccinated
- Aged 18+ and have received stem cell transplant. This includes adult recipients of allogenic transplant, autologus transplant or a CAR-T or similar theraphy.
The Shingles vaccine type has also changed this year. Patients will now get the SHINGRIX vaccine. This is a non-live vaccine and contains varicella zoster virus glycoprotein E antigen. It also requires two doses, the timeframe between doses being dependent upon your medical history.
You will receive an invite letter if you are eligible for flu this year which will advise you of where and when to attend. We will put details of who you can contact if you don’t receive a letter and think you should have on our website once we have received this info.
Pre-School children will also be vaccinated by the immunisation team, you can chose the venue but usually these will be held at the Surgery by the childhood vaccination team.
If you don’t receive a letter and think you should have you can contact the Tayside Vaccination team by email:
tay.vaxlocalenquiries@nhs.scot
Or phone: 01382 423108
Unfortunately we cannot assist with Flu and Covid Booster appointment issues.
Housebound patients will receive their vaccine in a similar fashion to how the Covid Booster was administered. The Vaccination team have a list of our housebound patients. If you are newly housebound and therefore don't think you are on the list yet, please contact the Surgery and we will pass your details on to the Vaccination team.