Immunisations

Yes. If you are aged 65 years or over or you are at higher risk.

• If you are aged 65 years or over or if you are on regular inhaled steroids
• If you have a chronic respiratory disease (including asthma)
• If you have chronic heart disease
• If you have chronic renal disease
• If you are diabetic
• If you have a weak immune system
• If you live in a long-stay residential or nursing home
• If you have a chronic liver disease
• If you are a carer

Everybody aged 65 and over should now be immunised to help protect them against pneumococcal infection which can cause diseases such as pneumonia, septicaemia (blood poisoning) and meningitis.

Please phone the surgery during September to make an appointment if the above applies to you.

It's recommended for all adults turning 65, those aged 70 to 79 and those aged 50 and over with a severely weakened immune system.

This system can seem confusing but essenially:

• From 1 September 2023, you're eligible for the shingles vaccine when you turn 65.
• If you turned 65 BEFORE this time, you must wait until you are 70.
• Everyone aged 70 to 79 is eligible for the shingles vaccine.

• You're eligible for the shingles vaccine if you're aged 50 or over and you're at higher risk from shingles because you have a severely weakened immune system.

  This includes:

  • some people with blood cancer (such as leukaemia or lymphoma)
  • some people with HIV or AIDS
  • some people who've recently had a stem cell transplant, radiotherapy, chemotherapy or an organ transplant
  • people taking certain medicines that severely weaken the immune system