Saturday clinic at Group Practice for influenza vaccinations

An influenza vaccination clinic is to be held in the Group Practice in Stornoway on Saturday (November 30), for those in the ‘at risk’ groups and pre-school children.

A number of Saturday clinics have been held by the Practice over the last few weeks and have been very successful, with excellent attendance. The next clinic will be held on Saturday 30 November. If you are in an identified ‘at risk’ group, or if your child is between two and five years old and has not already been vaccinated this year, please phone 01851 703145 to make an appointment.

All children aged 2-5 are eligible for the free influenza vaccination, as well as children over six months of age with a medical condition which puts them in an ‘at risk’ group such as diabetes, heart or kidney disease, and breathing problems.

Vaccinations are also offered to those people with health conditions, who are at greater risk from the effects of flu, including those people with conditions such as heart problems, emphysema, diabetes or liver or kidney disease. Those eligible should have received letters from their GP Practice.

Every year thousands of people are hospitalised with flu. Even healthy children and adults can become seriously ill from it. Getting vaccinated can also stop it spreading to family, friends and others.

The vaccine takes 10 days to work, so the earlier you can get the vaccine, the better. The vaccine needs to be given annually to offer protection against the most common types of flu virus that are around each winter.

The vaccine is given to adults as an injection and to children as a nasal spray. In terms of the nasal spray, a tiny amount of the flu vaccine is given into each nostril. It’s not an injection. It’s quick and painless and there’s no need to sniff or inhale the vaccine. Your child will just feel a little tickle in their nose.