Vaccinations

Flu Season 2026/27

We are pleased to update you on this year’s Flu vaccination campaign at the practice! Our flu clinics will commence from Monday 5^th October 2026.

Eligible patients with a valid mobile number recorded on their patient record will be sent an SMS message with a self-booking link, giving the most flexibility to arrange your flu vaccination appointment. The booking link will expire after 7 days, so please book as soon as possible after receiving your invitation.

Invitations will be sent from Friday 4^th September 2026 to Monday 7^th September

Children ages 2 and 3 years who are eligible to receive their nasal flu vaccine at the practice (Those born between 01/09/2022 and 31/08/2024) will also receive invitations by SMS with a self-booking link. We will be running dedicated child flu clinics for eligible children from the end of September.

If you fit the eligibility criteria for a flu vaccination but have not received an invitation to book your appointment, please visit our website:

Flu vaccination request – Haygarth Medical Centres

Further information on flu vaccinations is available from the NHS:

Flu vaccine – Public Health Wales.

Flu Vaccination Clinics

Please note the following when you attend for your appointment:

• All flu clinics are by appointment only
• Please wear a short sleeved t-shirt or blouse to allow easy access to the top of your arm
• Please arrive on time, not early or late (to help with parking)
• Patients will be called separately for their appointment, if you need a carer to accompany you please inform reception when making the appointment.

Flu campaign

Flu Vaccinations are one of the best ways to help protect you against catching and spreading flu. Protection starts around two weeks after having the vaccine.

Flu viruses are constantly changing. Each year flu vaccines are changed to match the flu viruses that are likely to be circulating.

You Should have the flu vaccine if you are:

• Pregnant
• Aged 65 or over (or turn 65 before the end of the flu vaccination programme)
• Aged six months to 64 years with a long-term health condition, including:
  • Problems with your chest or breathing. This includes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma, that need regular steroid inhalers or tablets.
  • A heart problem
  • Kidney disease (from stage 3)
  • Liver disease
  • Nerve conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease or motor neurone disease
  • A learning disability
  • Severe mental illness
  • Diabetes
  • Adrenal insufficiency, such as Addison’s disease
  • Epilepsy
  • A weak immune system due to illness or treatmet
  • A missing spleen or a problem with your spleen
  • Being very overweight. This is a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more and aged 16 or over.

Even if you feel well, you are at higher risk of getting seriously ill from flu if any of the above apply to you.  

The following people should also have the flu vaccine to help protect themselves and those around them.

Flu vaccines for children

Most children and young people will have their vaccine as a quick and painless nasal spray, where a fine mist is sprayed up the nose from the tip of each nostril. The nasal spray vaccine is the recommended flu vaccine for most children and young people from the age of two.

All children aged two and over can have a free flu vaccine. This includes:

• Children aged six months or older with a long-term health condition that puts them at higher risk from flu.
• Children who are aged two or three on 31 August
• All primary school children
• All secondary school children in years 7 to 11

If your child is aged six months or older and has any of the following health conditions, it is important they have a flu vaccine every year:

• Epilepsy
• Diabetes
• Adrenal insufficiency, such as Addison’s disease
• A heart problem
• A chest or breathing problem, including asthma, that needs regular steroid inhalers or tablets
• Kidney disease (from stage 3)
• A weak immune system due to an illness or treatment
• Liver disease
• Nerve conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease or motor neurone disease
• A missing spleen or a problem with their spleen
• A learning disability
• Severe mental illness
• Children (aged six months or older on 1 September) with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above

Children and young people in Wales who are homeless can also have a flu vaccination.

Children in these groups may get their vaccine at their school if they are in school years reception to year 11. Children who do not attend school can get the flu vaccine from their GP surgery

Shingles campaign

In September 2013, a national immunisation programme was introduced by the Department of Health for people in certain age groups to help protect those most at risk from Shingles. Shingles is a condition that is caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus. Once you have had chickenpox, the virus stays dormant (inactive) in your nervous system and later in life can reactivate and cause Shingles.

Check if you are eligible for the Shingles vaccination by viewing the poster below:

• All Year Round Shingles Vaccination – Eligibility poster

If you are eligible for a Shingles vaccination this year, please contact the surgery to make an appointment.

Travel vaccinations

A risk assessment form for vaccines for travel must be completed and returned to the practice before making a travel appointment.

The practice is able to provide a basic provision for patients wishing to travel abroad and can provide all of the NHS vaccines.

Please note this practice is not a travel clinic therefore if specialist travel advice is required or specialist vaccinations are needed (for example rabies, yellow fever) this must be sourced from a specialist travel clinic. Malaria prevention tablets can be purchased from most high street chemists.

The following NHS vaccines for travel are available in Haygarth surgery:

• Diphtheria, Polio and Tetanus (combined vaccine)
• Typhoid
• Hepatitis A

Please allow at least 8 weeks prior to departure date to help us try to meet your travel vaccination needs. We have a very limited service provision for vaccinations required for travel, therefore please ensure that risk assessment is fully completed to enable the nurse to assess your NHS vaccine needs and ensure that you receive your vaccinations in time for your departure date.

Please be advised we cannot accommodate NHS vaccine needs for travel when this is required for last minute travel.

You can obtain advice on the vaccines recommended for your destination of travel from the Nathnac website: www.travelhealthpro.org.uk

Any other required vaccinations for travel are available from:

• Nomad travel clinic – www.nomadtravel.co.uk
• Boots – travel – www.boots.com – Travel health

Related information

NHS vaccinations and when to have them