Patients who are over the age of 65 years or patients of any age who are deemed "at risk" due to certain medical conditions will be invited to have a flu vaccination.  The Public Health Agency advise the practice which patients should be invited to attend for flu vaccination before the flu vaccination campaign begins in the Autumn.

At Risk Patients:

• 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

Vaccination continues to help protect against severe illness, hospitalisations and deaths from COVID-19.

Following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the following groups will be offered COVID-19 vaccine:

• adults aged 75 years and over
• residents in a care home for older adults
• individuals aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed (as defined in tables three and four in the COVID-19 chapter of the Green Book(external link opens in a new window / tab))

If you are eligible for vaccination against COVID-19, you should contact the surgery or local pharmacy to make an appointment to get vaccinated.

Participating community pharmacies are offering the COVID-19  vaccine to:

• care home residents
• people aged 75 and over
• those aged 18 to 74 and immunosuppressed

You can find out which community pharmacies are offering vaccinations near you by putting in your postcode at the link below:

• Find a vaccination clinic(external link opens in a new window / tab)

The pneumococcal vaccine helps protect against serious illnesses like pneumonia and meningitis. It's recommended for people at higher risk of these illnesses, such as babies and adults aged 65 and over.

RSV is an infectious disease of the airways and lungs.

RSV infection often causes symptoms similar to a cold, including:

• cough
• sore throat
• sneezing
• a runny or blocked nose

RSV infection is common in young children but is most serious for small babies and for older people.

You can get the vaccine if you are aged 75 or over, or are a resident in a care home for older adults. Your GP will contact you and invite you for vaccination if you are eligible. Special arrangements will be made for people who live in care homes to receive the vaccine.

You may be able to get the RSV vaccine at the same time as other vaccines (like shingles or pneumococcal). You can discuss this with the person giving you the vaccine.

RSV vaccine - NHS

The shingles vaccine helps protect against shingles. It's available on the NHS for all adults turning 65, those aged 70 to 79 and those aged 18 and over with a severely weakened immune system.

How to get the shingles vaccine                                                                                                                                                                                              Your GP surgery will usually contact you when you become eligible for the shingles vaccine. This will usually be by letter, text or phone call.

People aged 80 or over                                                                                                                                                                                                              The vaccine's effect diminishes with age, therefore people aged 80 or older aren't eligible to receive the vaccine.

Shingles vaccine - NHS

Vaccination Centre | Belfast Health & Social Care Trust website