Seasonal Flu Vaccination Programme 2011

The first batch of this year’s seasonal flu vaccinations are due to be delivered to the Barton Surgery on Thursday 30 September.

Patients who are aged over 65 years, have a chronic disease (asthma, diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disease, a condition which suppresses your immunity), are pregnant or a carer are eligible to receive a flu vaccination.

If you have an appointment with the doctor or nurse any time after this date, please ask during your appointment and they will vaccinate you.

We are holding two Saturday Flu clinics:

15 October and 22 October
09.00am – 1.00pm
No appointment necessary

These clinics are slightly longer than normal and this is because we are seizing the opportunity to update our records and also do essential health promotion tasks, eg blood pressure checks, height and weight, etc.  Please expect to be in with the nurse for about ten minutes, rather than the very quick appointment you have been used to in the past.  This may cause a backlog of patients waiting so can we suggest you don’t come along too early.

For patients who live at Dawlish Warren, we will be holding two clinics:

Monday 17 and Monday 24 October
11.00am – 12.30pm
No appointment necessary

You are also able to book in with one of the practice nursing team at any other time to suit you in order to have your vaccination.

If you are over 65 years, you are also eligible to have a one-off vaccination against pneumonia.  If you have not had this, please ask for it at the same time as your flu injection.  If you are unsure if you have had it, we can check for you.

Every year the constituents of the influenza vaccine change to take into account new strains and this year the seasonal flu vaccination includes the H1N1 (swine flu) strain.