Salters Meadow Centre

Non-urgent advice: Influenza Programme and Covid-19 Autumn Booster 2025

Covid-19 Vaccination – Autumn 2025

There has been a significant change to the national Covid-19 vaccination programme this year. Covid vaccinations will ONLY be offered to adults aged 75 years and over, residents in care homes for older adults and those who are immunosuppressed. This represents a change from the Autumn 2024 programme (which also included adults aged 65-74 and those in a clinical at-risk group) to vaccination of those at highest risk of serious disease.

Eligibility (from October 2025):

· adults aged 75 years and over

· residents in a care home for older adults

· Individuals who are immunosuppressed

Note: This is a nationally agreed change (not a local decision) and is based on JCVI advice.

· Covid-19 vaccines will only be given alongside the flu vaccine to those eligible.

Flu Vaccination – Autumn 2025

From September 2025 (early start):

· Pregnant women

· Some immunocompromised patients (for example, receiving chemotherapy)

· Children aged 2 or 3 years on 31st August 2025

Primary school children (Reception to Year 6) and Secondary school children (Years 7-11) will be offered their vaccination as part of the School Immunisation Programme.

From October 2025:

· Patients aged 65 years and over

· Those aged 18 years to under 65 years in a clinical at-risk group

· Patients in long stay residential care homes

· Carers

· Close contacts of immunocompromised individuals

· Frontline health and social care staff (patient contact)

Why October? Flu vaccine protection wanes over time, so vaccinating closer to the peak season (December–January) gives better protection.

Booking Your Vaccination

Clinics will be held Wednesday evenings from 1st October 5.30 pm- 7.30pm
Saturday 4th October and Saturday 18th October

· Eligible patients will receive a text invitation with a self-booking link.

· If your mobile number has changed or is missing, please contact the practice to update it.

. No mobile? Please contact the surgery to book an appointment, we will also contact you.

Protect yourself, your family and friends, and the NHS this winter.

We strongly encourage all eligible patients to take up their free flu and Covid vaccinations when offered.

Secondary Care Blood Tests

Guide for Secondary Care Blood Tests

If you have had a request from a Clinician who works in Secondary Care for a blood test, in most cases you will need to arrange to have these bloods done through the Secondary Care Bloods Service. Secondary Care includes Hospital Clinicians, Consultants, and Specialists etc. This can be done online at https://www.swiftqueue.co.uk/. For appointments at Queens Hospital Burton. Alternatively Cannock Chase Hospital offer a walk in service.

There are some exceptions to this:

High Risk Blood Monitoring. If we prescribe your high risk medication, it is our responsibility to monitor your bloods, this is done through a Shared Care Agreement that your consultant will have initiated.