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FLU CLINICS 2020
Due to the COVID Pandemic, this years flu clinics will be very different from previous years. As per NHS England, patients will be vaccinated in order of clinical need.
From 22 September, we will be vaccinating OVER 65 ONLY.
From 5 October, we will be vaccinating Under 65 WHO HAVE AN EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITION AND PREGNANT WOMEN ONLY.
From November, we will vaccinate the new Government cohort of 50-64 years.
Due to weather conditions the flu clinics will ONLY be booked 48 hours in advance.
Due to COVID we will be vaccinating on our driveway. Please wear a face mask. Do not turn up early for your appointment and come unaccompanied. Please social distance.
We will ONLY be giving the flu jab on this appointment.
This will minimise foot fall into our Practice and the risk to patients and staff of transmission of the Coronavirus.
We thank you for your patience in these difficult times.
Please note that people in the 50-64-year old age group will NOT be vaccinated until November and December, PROVIDING there is sufficient vaccine, and no appointments will be offered for this age group until then. This is to ensure that those who are most at risk are vaccinated first. Only Patients with underlying chronic illness (eg: Heart Disease, Asthma, COPD, kidney disease) are entitled to it from 6th Octobe 2020.
FLU AND COVID co-exist in the community
During the upcoming flu season, patients are at risk of both flu and COVID. Although there is no vaccine for COVID as yet, we can protect ourselves from Flu by taking the flu vaccine in time. Screening studies report more cases of co-infection, suggesting that unless screening patients with COVID-19, the co-infection remains undiagnosed and underestimated.
Influenza vaccine for the larger population groups can be recommended to simplify clinicians' work, for the foreseen second wave of COVID-19, which is expected to evolve in September/October, the start date of influenza season.
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