Protect yourself and others this winter with a FREE flu vaccination

Getting your free vaccination is a simple and easy step to help try and prevent the illness during the colder winter months, when cases are most common. This year it’s more important than ever to protect us all against flu.

For most people, flu causes the unpleasant symptoms of fever, cough, headaches and joint pains. But for some at-risk residents, it can lead to severe complications that may even be fatal. Those most at-risk of complications from the virus are children, pregnant women, or residents with existing medical conditions. Adults at high risk from flu are also most at risk from COVID-19 and the free vaccine is more important than ever, to help protect residents from a double threat this winter.

“Flu can be extremely debilitating and in some cases, even life threatening. If you are over 65, or under 65 with a long term health condition, immunosuppressed or pregnant, please get your flu jab now.” Dr Ammara Hughes, GP at Bloomsbury Surgery and Clinical Director of the Central Camden Primary Care Network.

Central Camden Primary Care Network Flu Vaccination Service

A group of GP practices, collectively known as the ‘Central Camden Primary Care Network’ are working together with local pharmacies, have come together to offer residents registered at their practices with a free flu vaccination service.

This network includes the following GP practices:

  • Ampthill Surgery
  • Bloomsbury Surgery
  • Camden Health Improvement Practice
  • Gower Street Practice
  • Kings Cross Surgery
  • Regents Park Practice
  • Ridgmount Practice
  • Somers Town Medical Centre
  • Swiss Cottage Surgery

We are aware and understand that the ongoing concerns about COVID-19 may mean that there is an increase in demand for the flu vaccination this year. We will be working hard to ensure that those individuals that are the most at-risk from flu and most vulnerable to COVID-19 are prioritised for vaccination to fully protect them this winter.

Who is eligible for a vaccination?

Those eligible for a FREE flu vaccination this year are as follows:

  • those aged 65 and over as at 31st March 2021;
  • those aged 6 months to under 65 years in clinical risk groups as at 31st March 2021;
  • those who are pregnant;
  • all children aged 2 - 11 as at 31st August 2020 (please note: children aged 2 - 3 will be offered a nasal spray by their GP Surgery and children aged 4– 11 will be offered the nasal spray vaccination at their school);
  • household contacts of those on the NHS Shielded Patient List ;
  • those in long-stay residential care homes, nursing homes or another long-stay care facility;
  • those who receive a carer’s allowance, or are the main carer for an elderly or disabled person
  • those with learning disabilities, their family carers and paid supporters;
  • those with a weakened immune system and household contacts;     
  • frontline health staff, and social care staff employed by a registered residential care/nursing home, registered domiciliary care provider, or a voluntary managed hospice provider.
  • all patients aged 50 - 64*;

*Please note that patients aged  50-64 will not be invited until all the other groups have received their vaccination.  This is to ensure that those who are most at-risk are vaccinated first. If you are aged 50-64 and you are in one of the other groups which are eligible for the flu vaccination, for example, you have a health condition which puts you at risk from the flu, you will be invited earlier.

How can I access the Central Camden Primary Care Network Flu Vaccination Service?

 Eligible residents registered at the GP practices of the Central Camden Primary Care Network will be invited to attend for vaccination at one of the following locations offering daily appointments:

  • The Living Centre, 2 Ossulston Street, Somers Town, NW1 1DF  
  • Swiss Cottage Flu Hub, 27-29 Winchester Road, NW3 3NR (displayed in the photo)
  • Pharmacy locations within the Central Camden area*

Eligible residents will be contacted by phone or text to book an appointment. 

*Eligible Residents are also able to walk in and access flu vaccinations from any pharmacy locations in Central Camden offering a flu vaccination service.

For more information, please contact your GP Practice or contact the service on centralcamdenpcn-flu@nhs.net.

 

Further Information

The adult flu vaccine (Aged 18 years and over)

All adult flu vaccines are given by injection into the muscle of the upper arm.

Age Group Recommended Vaccine Live Vaccine?
Aged 18-64 years Quadrivalent influenza vaccine: 
Egg-grown (QIVe)
Cell-grown (QIVc)		 No
Aged 65 years and over Adjuvanted trivalent influenza vaccine (aTIV) No

Where to get the flu vaccine:

  • your GP Surgery / PCN Flu Hub
  • a pharmacy offering the service
  • your midwifery service if you're pregnant

If you have your flu vaccine at a pharmacy, you do not have to tell the GP. The pharmacist should tell them.

 

The childhood flu vaccine  (Aged 6 months - 17 years)

Children are super spreaders of flu, passing it on to others within their families and communities. The flu vaccine works well in children and helps protect everyone from the complications of flu.

Age Group Recommended Vaccine Live Vaccine?
Aged 6 months - 2 years  Egg-grown quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIVe) No
Aged 2-17 years  Live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) Yes

Vulnerable children aged 6 months to 2 years are given an injectable vaccine.

Children aged 2-17 years are given a ‘live attenuated vaccine’, through a nasal spray. It does not give children the flu as the virus has been weakened. 

For children with severe egg allergy, severe asthma or those that are immunocompromised they can have an alternative vaccine, which is injectable.

From the end of November, there will also be a non-porcine content vaccine available as an injection for those that request it for health, cultural or religious grounds.

Where should children have the flu vaccine:

Child's age Where to have
Aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August 2020 
(born between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2018)		 GP Surgery / PCN Flu Hub
Aged 4 - 11 years
(on 31st August 2020) 		 School or Catch-Up Clinic*
Aged 12-17 years 
(with long-term condition e.g. diabetes or heart problems)		 GP Surgery / PCN Flu Hub
Home-schooled children
 (aged 4 to 11 years)		 Community Clinic

*Catch-Up Clinics are run daily by CNWL at Peckwater Centre, Ground Floor, 6 Peckwater Street, London, NW5 2TX. These are by appointment ONLY and for those children who have missed vaccinations at school due to isolation or health reasons. To book an appointment, contact CNWL: 020 3317 5076 (Immunisation Office) or 020 3317 5074 (Immunisation Nurse).

Read the Camden childhood flu vaccine facts for more information. This has been developed by your local public health team, to help answer any queries about the flu vaccine.

Protect everybody in your community against flu. Get your family vaccinated today.

 

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Published: Nov 4, 2020

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