Due to the restrictions COVID-19 has put upon us we have had to think “out of the box” this year. We are very fortunate that local venues have been accommodating and we are going to be using the Pavilions in Teignmouth and St Peter’s Church in Shaldon to deliver our flu clinics.
This year is going to be a little different and we ask our patients to adhere to the following guidance:
- Please attend at your allotted time, do not attend early as appointments have been spaced out to allow for social distancing. If you attend early you will be asked to wait outside until your allotted time.
- Attend alone if possible, the clinics are reserved for people receiving their flu jab
- Wear loose fitting clothing to allow for easy access to the vaccination site (upper arm), this is to ensure that our contact is minimal and that the clinic runs on time
- If you are able to, please wear a face mask / covering whilst at the clinic
- If you feel unwell with symptoms associated with COVID-19 (new cough, temperature or change/loss of smell) please call to rearrange your appointment for a few weeks’ time when you are feeling better
- Whilst at the clinic, please adhere to social distancing
- Sanitise your hands on entry to and exit from the clinics
During September and October in line with Government recommendations we will only be vaccinating patients that are aged 65 and over on the 31st March 2021 or are under 65 and are in a clinically at risk group:
- Pregnant women
- Living in a residential care home, or long-stay care facility
- A carer in receipt of Carers allowance, or you are the main carer for an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if you fall ill
- Long term respiratory diseases such as asthma (that requires an inhaled steroid or tablet treatment, or has led to hospital admissions in the past), Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema or bronchitis
- Chronic heart disease such as heart failure, previous heart attached, atrial fibrillation
- Chronic kidney disease
- Chronic liver disease such as hepatitis
- Chronic neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis (MS) or cerebral palsy
- Learning disability
- Diabetes
- Problems with your spleen, such as sickle cell disease or if you have had your spleen removed
- A weakened immune system due to medicines such as steroids, chemotherapy or conditions such as HIV and AIDS
- Being seriously overweight (BMI over 40)
- Living with someone who was advised by the Government to shield during the pandemic
Full details on who is eligible for the flu jab can be found on the NHS website www.nhs.uk and common questions about the flu jab can be found at www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/flu-vaccine-questions-answers
For those that are aged 50 – 64 and do not fall in to one of the categories listed above, we are awaiting further guidance from Government on when these vaccinations are likely to begin. We expect to have this information by mid-November, and will contact patients via text, email, phone or letter to invite them for the flu jab.
