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Autumn Vaccinations

Covid Vaccination

 

As we move into autumn, protection from any earlier COVID-19 vaccination you may have had will be starting to wane. For those who are more likely to become seriously ill from COVID-19, the NHS offers a free vaccine in the autumn, previously known as the ‘Autumn Booster’.

Eligible groups this autumn

The eligibility is the same across the 4 nations of the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).

The vaccine should usually be offered no earlier than around 6 months after the last vaccine dose. If you are eligible, you can get protection from an autumn COVID-19 vaccination even if you have not taken up a COVID-19 vaccine offer in the past.

Further information on eligibilities can be found here – Who’s eligible for the 2024 COVID-19 vaccine, or ‘Autumn Booster’? – UK Health Security Agency (blog.gov.uk)

The Covid-19 Vaccination Programme is due to commence on 1st October 2024, however, at the time of writing this, we have no delivery dates and therefore will not begin to invite patients until we can confirm delivery dates with the NHS supply team.

Flu Vaccination

Flu vaccination remains a critically important public health intervention to reduce morbidity and mortality in those most at risk including older people, pregnant women and those in clinical risk groups. It helps the health and social care system manage winter pressures by helping to reduce demand for GP consultations and likelihood of hospitalisation. 

Eligibility

Eligibility for flu vaccination is based on the advice and recommendations of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). This includes a vaccination programme for children based on JCVI’s 2012 recommendation, using live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) which provides individual protection to the child and reduces transmission in the wider population.

The following groups are to be offered flu vaccination in line with the announced and authorised cohorts (see timings section):

From 1 September 2024:
  • pregnant women
  • all children aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August 2024
  • primary school aged children (from Reception to Year 6)
  • secondary school aged children (from Year 7 to Year 11)
  • all children in clinical risk groups aged from 6 months to less than 18 years
From October 2024, exact start date to be confirmed by NHS England in due course:
  • those aged 65 years and over
  • those aged 18 years to under 65 years in clinical risk groups (as defined by the Green Book, Influenza Chapter 19)
  • those in long-stay residential care homes
  • carers in receipt of carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person
  • close contacts of immunocompromised individuals
  • frontline workers in a social care setting without an employer led occupational health scheme including those working for a registered residential care or nursing home, registered domiciliary care providers, voluntary managed hospice providers and those that are employed by those who receive direct payments (personal budgets) or Personal Health budgets, such as Personal Assistants

Pneumococcal vaccine

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.

The Pneumonia Vaccine for most patients over the age of 65 is a one-off vaccine and we will offer this alongside the flu and covid vaccines. 

Autumn Vaccinations Read More »

RSV Vaccine

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

It can also make you become wheezy or short of breath and lead to pneumonia and other life-threatening conditions. There is no specific treatment, and most infections will get better by themselves. Every year thousands of older adults need hospital care for RSV, and some of them will die. RSV can be more severe in people with medical conditions such as heart or lung disease or a weakened immune system.

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

Eligibility for the RSV vaccination

Everyone turning 75 years old on or after the 1 September 2024 will be offered a single dose of RSV vaccine. This is because older adults are more at risk of serious complications from RSV. You can still get the vaccine up to the day before you turn 80.

For the first year of the programme, the vaccine will also be offered to those who are already aged 75 to 79 years on 1 September 2024 as part of a catch up programme.

If you are not yet 75 the NHS will invite you for vaccination once you turn 75.

Having the RSV vaccine at the same time as other vaccines

Shingles and pneumococcal vaccines

You may be offered your shingles or pneumococcal vaccine at the same time as the RSV vaccine, it is safe to do so and reduces the number of appointments you will need to get protected from these diseases.

Flu and COVID-19 vaccines

RSV isn’t normally arranged to be given at the same appointment as your COVID-19 or flu vaccines.

In certain clinical circumstances, your doctor or nurse can safely offer them at the same time.

Your guide to the RSV vaccine for older adults – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

RSV Vaccine Read More »

BMA Collective Action

Following the recent BMA ballot which you may have heard about in the press, we are writing to explain what this means for you and the future of General Practice. 

GPs have for years been doing work that is not funded and not contracted due to gaps in commissioned services and pressures in secondary care services; they have been doing so out of concern for their patients and to ensure that you continue to receive the care you deserve. However, with chronic underfunding and increased demand it is no longer sustainable for GPs to continue working in this way. 

Since 2015 we have seen 1600 Practices close or merge, there are 6 million more registered patients and 2000 fewer full time equivalent GPs across the country. Our funding levels are significantly lower than 2018 levels. This means we will be focussing on the safety and stability of our service going forwards.

Collective action is about working legitimately within our contracts. You may have heard this referred to in the press as industrial action; this is factually incorrect.  We will not be doing anything that compromises your safety, and we will not currently be going on strike.

We hope you understand that we are taking this action to ensure that general practice locally, in Devon and across England is there for our patients in years to come, and hope for your forbearance. 

BMA Collective Action Read More »