Adult immunisation

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Please check out the NHS-immunisation information website for detailed information on the diseases and the vaccines used to protect us from them.

InfluenzaEnglish version

Flu clinics:

These are walk in sessions with no appointment required. Please try and come to the first two Saturdays which are longer sessions with more nursing and support staff available to immunise as many of our patients without a long wait. If you are unable to stand in a queue please notify the member of staff at the front door for access to the seating area inside.

If you are in any of the following groups please come and be immunised:

  • All aged 65 years and over;
  • All aged over 6 months in the following risk groups:
Clinical risk group Examples
Chronic respiratory disease

Asthma that requires continuous or repeated use of inhaled or systemic steroids or with previous exacerbations requiring hospital admission

  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease including chronic bronchitis and emphysema; bronchiectasisis, cystic fibrosis, interstitial lung disease, pneumoconiosis and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD)

  • Children who have previously been admitted to hospital for lower respiratory tract disease
Chronic heart disease

  • Individuals requiring regular medication and or follow-up for ischaemic heart disease

  • Congenital heart disease

  • Hypertension with cardiac complications

  • Chronic heart failure
Chronic kidney disease

  • Chronic renal failure

  • Nephrotic syndrome

  • Renal transplantation
Diabetes requiring insulin or oral hypoglycaemic drugs

  • Type 1 diabetes

  • Type 2 diabetes requiring oral hypoglycaemic drugs
Immunosuppression

  • Immunosuppression due to disease or treatment

  • Patients undergoing chemotherapy leading to immunosuppression

  • Asplenia or splenic dysfunction

  • HIV infection

  • Individuals treated with or likely to be treated with systemic steroids for more than a month at a dose equivalent to prednisolone 20 mg or more per day
Chronic liver disease

  • Cirrhosis

  • Biliary atresia

  • Chronic hepatitis

People who are the main carer for an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill.

  
Health care workers  

NB Flu immunisation is free and it cannot give you flu!

See also Influenza-the disease and vaccine

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Pneumococcal disease

Invasive pneumococcal disease (pneumonia, bacteraemia and meningitis) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, especially among the very young, the elderly, those with an absent or non-functioning spleen and those with other causes of impaired immunity.

Pneumococcal vaccine is given once only. Please ask for an appointment with one of our nursing team.

We would like our patients with the following conditions to be immunised:

  • All over age 65
  • Absence or severe dysfunction of the spleen, including sickle cell disease and coeliac disease - this particular group should be immunised every five years
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Immunodeficiency or immunosuppression due to disease or treatment (this includes chemotherapy for cancer and long-term high dose prednisolone tablets), including HIV infection at all ages
  • Chronic heart disease
  • Chronic lung disease-this includes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis and cystic fibrosis but not asthma unless so severe as to require continuous or frequent steroid tablets
  • Chronic liver disease including cirrhosis
  • Diabetes mellitus

Mumps

See http://www.immunisation.org.uk/files/mumps.pdf

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Tetanus

Tetanus spores are present in soil and may be introduced into the body during injury. Below we set out the August 2002 guidance from the chief medical officer.

ROUTINE TETANUS and DIPHTHERIA IMMUNISATION SCHEDULES

1. Adults and adolescents requiring tetanus immunisation should now receive combined adsorbed tetanus/low dose diphtheria vaccine for adults and adolescents (Td).

2. A full course of tetanus and diphtheria vaccines consists of 5 doses as follows:
 

SCHEDULE CHILDREN ADULTS
Primary Course 3 doses of vaccine (usually as DTP) at 2, 3 and 4 months of age 3 doses of vaccine (as Td) each one month apart
4th dose At least 3 years after the primary course, usually pre-school entry (as DTaP) 10 years after primary course (as Td)
5th dose Aged 13-18 years before leaving school (as Td) 10 years after 4th dose (as Td)

3. Older adults may be unimmunised and at particular risk.  Our nurses are happy to check your immunisation status and complete the recommended 5 dose schedule.

4. For travellers to areas where medical attention may not be accessible should a tetanus prone injury occur and whose last dose of a tetanus containing vaccine was more than 10 years previously, a booster dose of Td should be given, even if the individual has received 5 doses of vaccine previously. This is a precautionary measure in case immunoglobulin is not available to the individual should a tetanus prone injury occur.

 TETANUS IMMUNISATION FOLLOWING INJURIES

Immunisation Status Clean Wound Tetanus Prone Wound (see definition at* below)
Vaccine Vaccine Human tetanus immunoglobulin
Fully immunised i.e. has received a total of 5 doses of tetanus vaccine at appropriate intervals as single antigen or in a combined vaccine None required None required Only if risk especially high (e.g. contaminated with stable manure)
Primary immunisation complete, boosters incomplete but up to date None required (unless next dose due soon and convenient to give now) None required (unless next dose due soon and convenient to give now) Only if risk especially high (see above)
Primary immunisation incomplete or boosters not up to date A reinforcing dose of combined tetanus/diphtheria vaccine and further doses as required to complete the recommended schedule (to ensure future immunity) A reinforcing dose of combined tetanus/diphtheria vaccine and further doses as required to complete the recommended schedule (to ensure future immunity) Yes: one dose of human tetanus immunoglobulin in a different site
Not immunised or immunisation status not known or uncertain An immediate dose of vaccine followed, if records confirm this is needed, by completion of a full 3 dose course of combined tetanus/ diphtheria vaccine to ensure future immunity An immediate dose of vaccine followed, if records confirm this is needed, by completion of a full 3 dose course of combined tetanus/diphtheria vaccine to ensure future immunity Yes: one dose of human tetanus immunoglobulin in a different site

* A tetanus prone wound is:

1. Any wound or burn sustained more than six hours before surgical treatment of the wound or burn.

2. Any wound or burn at any interval after injury that shows one or more of the following characteristics:

i. A significant degree of devitalised (dead) tissue
ii. Puncture-type wound
iii. Contact with soil or manure likely to harbour tetanus organisms
iv. Clinical evidence of sepsis

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Page last updated Dec-08