Winter Vaccination Programme 2023-2024: Information for Eligible Patients

Appointments are now available for eligible, registered patients to receive the flu vaccine and/or Covid-19 Booster. Our vaccine delivery is every fortnight and appointments will be made available on a fortnightly basis, as and when the vaccine stock is confirmed for delivery by the HSE.

PLEASE NOTE – WE ARE NOW FULLY BOOKED FOR COVID BOOSTER VACCINE – NO FURTHER COVID APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE (FLU VACCINE ONLY)

Vaccination appointments will only be available for those patients who meet the HSE eligibility criteria.

This year, the HSE will provide flu vaccines for patients in two groups:

Group A.   Patients aged 65 and over; patients who are pregnant; patients aged between 6 months and 23 months and those aged between 18 and 64 years of age who are at increased risk of influenza-related complications (See Specified List below).

Group B.   Patients aged 2 to 12 years, or those aged 13 to 17 with specific underlying conditions. Please click here for further information in relation to the nasal flu vaccine for this age group.

Scroll to bottom of page for online booking links. Please also read full details provided here before attending for vaccine.

Patients in the HSE specified groups above will receive the vaccine free of charge. You will be asked to provide your PPS number to ensure your vaccine is covered by the HSE.

You can see more details about the flu vaccine from the HSE website by clicking here.  Online Booking links are at the bottom of this page or call after 10.30am if unable to book online.

Please read the information below carefully to determine if you are eligible to receive the flu vaccine this year. It is important not to book an appointment for a flu vaccine if you do not meet the criteria below as you cannot be given a vaccine for which you are not eligible.

Please note that as per HSE and national guidelines, ONLY patients in the HSE specified groups will be able to avail of the flu vaccine in this practice. We will not be receiving flu vaccines for any other patients from the HSE and at this time, we are not aware of private supply in Ireland available for other patients. We understand this may be frustrating for other patients and suggest you contact the HSE or your local political representative to raise this matter with them.

FLU VACCINATION – FOR PATIENTS AGED 18 YEARS AND OVER, AND CHILDREN AGED FROM 6 TO 23 MONTHS WHO MEET THE FOLLOWING HSE CRITERIA

Patients who are aged over 18 years and children aged 6 months to 23 months and who are considered to be at increased risk of influenza-related complications will receive the QUADRIVALENT (QIV) vaccine. We will have the Influvac Tetra (QIV) vaccine from the HSE and you can read full details of the vaccine by clicking here before booking your appointment.  The vaccine will be administered free of charge to eligible patients, regardless of whether you hold a Medical Card, Doctor Visit Card or are a private patient. You will be asked to provide your PPS to ensure the vaccine is covered by the HSE.

Children between 6 months and 23 months in this category will usually be vaccinated in the hospital / through their Outpatient specialist clinic. If your child is in this category, please contact the hospital clinic first to check if your child will be vaccinated there.

Patients who are eligible for a flu vaccine are listed below:

those aged 65 years and older

healthcare workers

patients who are pregnant (at any stage of pregnancy)

patients who are in regular contact with pigs, poultry or waterfowl

patients with these specific health conditions:

• •  chronic heart disease, including acute coronary syndrome
  •  chronic liver disease
  •  chronic kidney failure
  •  chronic respiratory disease, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis, moderate or severe asthma, or bronchopulmonary dysplasia
  •  chronic neurological disease including multiple sclerosis, hereditary and degenerative disorders of the central nervous system
  •  diabetes
  •  Down syndrome
  •  haemoglobinopathies
  •  morbid obesity – a body mass index (BMI) over 40
  •  immunosuppression due to disease or treatment (including asplenia or hyposplenism, and all cancer patients)
  •  children with a moderate to severe neurodevelopmental disorder such as cerebral palsy
  •  children on long-term aspirin therapy
  •  any condition that can compromise respiratory function, like spinal cord injury, seizure disorder or other neuromuscular disorder, especially people also attending special schools or day centres

People who are living in a nursing home or other long-term care facility will be vaccinated in the facility.

The flu vaccine is also available to:

• Carers: Out-of-home carers – those providing a significant level of care the home to a person with an underlying chronic health condition or Down Syndrome. A carer is someone who provides an ongoing, significant level of care to a person who is in need of care in the home due to illness, frailty or disability.

Please note: household contacts of patients aged 65 years and older who do not also have a chronic health condition, household contacts of pregnant women, household contacts of children aged 2 to 17 years, household contacts of healthcare workers and household contacts of carers are not eligible for a flu vaccine from this campaign.

You should not get the flu vaccine if you have had a severe allergic (anaphylaxis) reaction to a previous dose or any part of the vaccine. Don’t get the flu vaccine if you are taking medicines called combination checkpoint inhibitors (e.g. ipilimumab plus nivolumab).  Vaccination should be re-scheduled if you have an acute illness with a temperature greater than 38°C.

If you fall in to one or more of the categories listed above, you are eligible for the flu vaccination and you can make an appointment by contacting Reception or booking online using the link below (available from Monday 25th September). Appointments are subject to vaccine availability and clinical capacity and if we do not have an appointment available for you in a given week, you can call or check again next week or ask for your name to be added to the Waiting List for the next clinic.

Other useful information is available by clicking these links:

• Information about the flu vaccine for people at risk.
• Flu vaccine in pregnancy.
• Flu vaccine for healthcare workers.
• Influvac Tetra – the flu vaccine you will receive at Sirona Medical.

We understand that there may be patients who have received a flu vaccine in previous years and who do not fall into the categories set out by the HSE for this year’s flu programme. Unfortunately, we have no control over the categories who are eligible for the flu vaccination; as previously stated, these have been decided by the HSE at national level. Please do not book an appointment for a flu vaccination if you are not eligible as per the detailed lists above, as you cannot be given a vaccine.

At this time, the only source of flu vaccines is the HSE, and these vaccines must be given in line with the national criteria. If private supply becomes available for patients who do not meet the eligibility criteria above, we will update the website to let you know.

Covid-19 Autumn Booster Vaccines

NOTE: NO FURTHER APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE – FLU ONLY AVAILABLE

Booster doses of Covid-19 vaccine are now available to certain groups of patients, as per HSE criteria. These vaccines are recommended to increase your immunity to Covid-19 infection and reduce the risk of serious disease and hospitalisations, particularly in key, vulnerable groups.

It is now recommended that Covid-19 booster vaccinations be given in spring and autumn for certain groups.

Booster vaccines are now available in Sirona Medical for:

• patients aged 50 or older
• patients aged 18 to 49 with a condition that puts you at high risk of serious illness from COVID-19
• patients who are healthcare workers.

If you are a patient of the practice and aged 18 to 49 and not in one of the groups above, you can still request a vaccine. You can contact the practice and give details about your reasons for wanting a booster and the GP will consider the request in relation to HSE criteria.

You can book an appointment online at the bottom of this page. Please book online if at all possible to reduce calls to the practice.

You can see full details of eligibility, which vaccine you will be offered, what to expect after receiving the Covid-19 Booster (including side effects) by clicking here on the HSE website. Please read and understand all of the relevant information before attending for your vaccine.

Please book your appointment online where possible. This is to try and reduce the amount of administration involved in these large clinics. If you are not familiar with online booking, please ask a family member or friend to help you.

Appointments are limited to what we can safely provide, based on staff and practice capacity.  Appointments will be booked on a first come, first served basis as per the online system.

These clinics require a huge amount of administration and clinical input, at a time when demand is already high for appointments and GP services. Please bear in mind that staff are doing their best to help all patients and that we have to put in a huge amount of extra time and effort to organise these clinics.

Please do not book a vaccination appointment if you have any flu-like / head-cold / respiratory or Covid-19 symptoms. You can book an appointment once you are 48 hours free of any respiratory symptoms.

We have a limited number of adult flu vaccines left in stock – please contact Reception (after 10am) to book by telephone.