The Winter vaccination programme is now underway. The programme will offer the flu and Covid booster to those who are eligible for either, or both.
It’s strongly recommended you get vaccinated if you’re eligible this winter. Most adults who are eligible for one or both vaccines will have already been contacted by NHS Scotland. Depending on your communication preferences, this will have been by letter, email or text.
The flu vaccine offers the best possible protection against flu viruses and this protection is very important if you are likely to be in contact with high-risk people or if you are more at risk of serious illness as a result of flu, e.g. older people and people with health conditions, babies and young children.
For those who are more vulnerable, the Covid booster will offer longer lasting protection against severe Covid-19 illness and help build up immunity to the virus. This will help the body fight it off more easily so any illness should be less severe.
The NHS is offering free flu vaccinations to the following groups of people:
- 18-64 years with an eligible flu-only clinical risk condition
- Carers (including unpaid and young carers)
- Non-frontline NHS workers
- Household contacts of those with immunosuppression
- Asylum seekers living in Home Office hotel or B&B accommodation
- Those experiencing homelessness
- Those experiencing substance misuse
- All prisoners within the Scottish prison estate
- Those living in long-stay residential care homes or other long stay care facilities
- Poultry workers
The NHS is offering free flu vaccinations along with a Covid19 booster to the following groups of people:
- those aged 65 and over
- residents or staff working in a care home for older adults
- frontline health and social care workers
- people aged 12 to 64 years who are household contacts of someone with a weakened immune system
- carer’s aged 16 to 64 years
- those aged 6 months to 64 years of age who are at higher clinical risk from flu and Covid19
- pregnant women.
If you are covered by one of the above groups, you will be contacted by the NHS with details of when and how you can access your vaccine(s).
If you are not covered by one of the above groups, you can arrange to have a private flu vaccination and have the cost reimbursed through iTrent.
You cannot access Covid19 boosters privately and will only receive one if you meet the criteria as outlined above. Information on how to claim the money back for a privately funded flu vaccination can be found here.
If you require any further information or assistance, please email the ESC-Helpdeskteam@northlan.gov.uk or EmploymentPolicyTeam@northlan.gov.uk
Guidance on how to claim a flu vaccination refund on mySelf as an employee and how to approve this claim on myTeam as a manager can be found below.
Making a claim for a refund of flu vaccination (Employee)
Authorising a claim request (Manager)
