Vaccinations this winter

Vaccination helps ease pressures on the NHS during the busy winter months. They also help prevent you, your family, and others from becoming unwell.

If you’re not sure about you or your child’s vaccine status your GP surgery can advise or you may also be able to view your status via the NHS app.

If you are eligible for a Covid-19 and/or flu vaccine, please book now via the NHS booking site, via the NHS app, or check out local walk-in clinics where no appointment is needed (see the blue box at the top of the page).

If you have booked an appointment for a vaccination, please arrive no more than 10 minutes before your time slot. This helps keep numbers of people waiting on site down and the process running smoothly

Covid-19

The Covid-19 winter booster vaccination programme vaccinates those most at risk. You can book change or cancel and appointment on the NHS booking site here. 

You can also see what local walk-in clinics are available, where you can just turn up – no appointment needed.

If you are also eligible for a flu vaccine you may be offered this at the same time.

The Covid-19 vaccine is available to:

• anyone aged 65 years and over
• residents in a care home for older adults
• anyone aged 6 months to 64 years in a clinical risk group (as defined in tables 3 or 4  here)
• frontline NHS and social care workers, and those working in care homes for older people. Employers should signpost these staff to the most convenient COVID-19 vaccination offer. This may be through NBS, where staff can self-declare their eligibility. 

Eligible children aged 6 months to 4 years who are in a clinical risk group are eligible for vaccination, along with those aged 5 and above. 

This is a specialist service delivered in 4 locations by our hospital trusts listed below. Parents can refer their children directly into the service using Referral Form, or you can ask your GP to do so. 

• Buckinghamshire: Stoke Mandeville Hospital bht.covidvaccineteam@nhs.net
• Berkshire West: Royal Berkshire Hospital rbb-tr.vaccination.booking@nhs.net
• Oxfordshire: Townlands Hospital, Henley rbb-tr.vaccination.booking@nhs.net
• Banbury: South Bar House PCN Local Vaccination Service Covid.manager@nhs.net

For anyone newly diagnosed as immunosuppressed or who fit eligibilty criteria, please contact your GP or hospital specialist to request vaccination outside the seasonal programme.

Further Covid-19 vaccine service information here: COVID-19 services – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Flu

The flu vaccine is offered on the NHS every year in autumn or early winter to help protect people at risk of flu complications. You can book, change or cancel a vaccine appointment online here. You can also see what local walk-in clinics are available, where you can just turn up – no appointment needed.

If you are also eligible for a Covid-19 vaccine you may be offered this at the same time.

The flu vaccine is available to:

• pregnant women
• all children aged 2 or 3 years old (on 31 August 2024)
• all primary and secondary school-aged children (from Reception to Year 11)
• those aged 6 months to under 65 years in clinical risk groups
• those aged 65 years and over
• people living in long-stay residential care homes or nursing homes, other long-stay health or social care facilities or a house-bound patient.
• 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
• locum GPs
• social care staff without an employer-led occupational health scheme can also access the flu vaccination through their GP, community pharmacy or NBS.

Find more on symptoms and how to treat flu here: Flu – NHS

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

RSV is a very common virus and causes hundreds of thousands of infections across the UK each winter.

For the first time from 1 September the NHS will offer vaccines for RSV, a common cause of coughs and colds which can be dangerous to older people and young children.

The jab will be available to those:

• aged 75 to 79 (your GP will send an RSV vaccination invite)
• pregnant women from 28 weeks, to protect their babies (speak to your maternity service or GP surgery about the vaccine)

Find out more here: What is RSV and is there a vaccine?