From 1st September 2026:

• Pregnant women
• All children aged 2 or 3 years on 31st August 2026
• All children in clinical risk groups aged from 6 months to less than 18 years

From 1 October 2026:

• Those aged 65 years and over
• Those aged 18 years to under 65 years in clinical risk groups 
• 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 

Dates for your diary:

• Children’s clinics start from 7th September 2026 onwards.
• Pregnant Women clinics start from 28th September 2026 onwards.
• Walk-in Flu/COVID vaccination day for those aged 65 and over will take place on Wednesday 7th October 2026, 9am-12pm.
• Follow-up Flu/COVID clinics for 65 years+ will continue to take place after this date.
• All other groups will be invited to Flu/COVID clinics starting October 2026 onwards.
  

• are aged 75 or over (including those who will be 75 by 31 January 2027)
• are aged 6 months to 74 years and have a weakened immune system because of a health condition or treatment
• live in a care home for older adults

All eligible patients will be contacted either via SMS, email or postal letter inviting you to book an appointment.

We advise all eligible patients to receive the vaccinations, however if you DO NOT wish to receive a vaccination this season please let us know.

If you haven’t received an invite but feel you are eligible, i.e. you are living with a condition that puts you in an at-risk category, please let our team know.

As we have in previous years, we are hosting a Macmillan Coffee Morning alongside our 65 years and older flu and COVID vaccination day.

Where: Bournbrook Varsity Medical Centre

When: 7th October 2026 9am-12pm

Use this link to start off our fundraising: https://cm26.macmillan.org.uk/fundraising/cm26023412?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=dssb-CL&utm_content=MPC&utm_ref=UBS

Most children are offered the nasal spray flu vaccine. It is the preferred vaccine for children aged 2 to 16 years (as well as children aged 17 who have certain long-term health conditions).

The nasal spray vaccine contains a small amount of gelatine from pigs (porcine gelatine).

A flu vaccine injection is available that does not contain gelatine. If you do not want your child to have the nasal spray vaccine, speak to the person vaccinating your child.

Children who cannot have the nasal spray vaccine and children under the age of 2 years will also be offered a flu vaccine injection.

The seasonal flu vaccine is offered free of charge to anyone who is over six months of age and has one of the following medical conditions:

• chronic (long-term) respiratory disease, such as asthma needing steroids, COPD or bronchitis
• chronic heart disease including heart failure and chronic heart and vascular disease including stroke and TIA
• chronic kidney disease
• chronic liver disease
• chronic neurological disease including polio and MS
• diabetes
• a weakened immune system due to conditions, such as HIV or AIDs, or splenectomy or treatments that suppress the immune system, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy
• Pregnant women

Are you a close contact of an immunocompromised patient? – Let us know to receive your free flu vaccine.

As you are new to us, we may not have yet received your medical records; therefore you must provide us with the following, or we will NOT be able to vaccinate you.

1. Confirmation from your previous GP that you fall into the “AT RISK GROUP”. Arrange for them to e-mail us at request.bournbrook@nhs.net.
2. If relevant, confirmation that you regularly use inhaled or swallowed steroids, for any condition, including Asthma. Note: If you do have asthma and only use Salbutamol / or Ventolin inhalers then you DO NOT qualify. You must have had “Steroids” in the past 12 months and can prove this to us.

Steroid examples: Beclomethasone, Clenil, Qvar, Budesonide, Pulmicort, Symbicort, Fluticasone, Flixotide, Seretide, Prednisilone

Flu Vaccine https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/flu-vaccine/

Flu Vaccine in Pregnancy https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/flu-jab/

Child Flu Vaccine https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/child-flu-vaccine/

COVID Vaccines https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/COVID-19-vaccine/

The good news, if you are not eligible, is that you can still obtain a flu vaccination for a small fee.  Several local Pharmacy’s provide this service for a small fee.