Vaccines will save lives across Devon this winter: COVID-19 and flu vaccination campaign begins in October

The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust will begin rolling out the national COVID-19 booster and flu vaccination programme on Thursday 3 October.

COVID-19 and flu spread more easily in winter when we spend more time together indoors and vaccination is the best protection against these viruses. If you are vaccinated and catch flu or COVID-19 you are likely to have milder symptoms and recover faster, reducing the risk of hospitalisation

The winter vaccine programme focuses on those at greatest risk of getting seriously ill and those eligible for vaccinations this year are:

COVID-19

• Adults aged 65 years and over
• Residents in a care home for older adults
• Individuals aged six months to 64 years in a clinical risk groups
• Frontline NHS and social care workers, and those working in care homes for older people

Flu

• Children aged two and three years on 31 August 2024
• Eligible school aged children (Reception to Year 11)
• Individuals aged six months to 64 years in a clinical risk group
• Pregnant women
• Adults aged 65 years and over
• Those in long-stay residential care homes
• Carers, those in receipt of carer’s allowance or main carer of an older or disabled person
• Household contacts of immunocompromised individuals
• Frontline health and social care workers

From Monday 23 September vaccination teams nationally will begin vaccinating those residents in care homes.

The national booking system  for public clinics will open on Monday 23 September, for appointments from Thursday 3 October  to Friday 20 December. 

You will be invited for your booster, your GP may offer you the vaccine or you can book using the NHS app for Apple or Android. You can also find your nearest walk-in vaccination site from the NHS website.

Carolyn Mills, Chief Nursing Officer at the Royal Devon, said: “Vaccination plays a huge part in keeping the most vulnerable people well through the autumn and winter, and we urge everyone who is eligible to come forward and have theirs.”

Please see our website for details of our vaccination sites and visit our online vaccination clinic calendar for the most up to date clinic dates.