Vaccinations
After clean water, vaccination is the most effective public health intervention in the world for saving lives and promoting good health, and therefore one of the most important things that any parent can do is get their child vaccinated and encourage them to continue this throughout their own lifetime.
Increase in Pertussis Cases in Northern Ireland
There has been a sharp increase in laboratory confirmed pertussis cases in Northern Ireland and other parts of the UK during the last two months. Since the end of January 2024 to start of March 2024, there were 71 laboratory-confirmed cases, of which 21 were in week commencing 4th March 24.
Children and Pregnant Women
In Northern Ireland, a primary course (3 doses) of pertussis containing vaccine is offered to all infants at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age, with a booster at 3 years and 4 months. Children up to 10 years of age should still complete their course of pertussis primary and booster vaccination, but after recovery from any acute illness.
The maternal pertussis immunisation programme gives high vaccine effectiveness against pertussis in infants until their first vaccinations at eight weeks of old. It is offered to all pregnant women and should be administered at any stage after 16 weeks of pregnancy (and ideally following the detailed ultrasound scan).
2024/25 Autumn/Winter Flu & Covid Vaccines
Vaccines are the best defense against COVID-19 and Influenza. All At-Risk Group patients between 18 & 64 and those over 65 are invited to receive their Flu and COVID-19 vaccine which will be administered at the 1 appointment. It is safe and effective to receive it in this way. If you are eligible for the COVID-19 &/or Flu vaccines this autumn/winter please book an appointment through on-line patient service or by contacting reception.
Initial invites will be sent by SMS text message so make sure we have an up-to-date mobile number for you.
Shingles Vaccination
More people have become eligible for the shingles vaccination from September 23. This will give more older people and those with a weaker immune system protection against shingles which can be an extremely painful condition and complications can be long-lasting.
The following cohorts are now invited to book an appointment for a shingles vaccine through on-line patient services or by contacting reception.
- Patients aged between 70-79 years of age
- Patients who are over 50 and severely immunosuppressed
- Patients who are 65 on 1st September 2023
Those 80 or over are no longer eligible for the shingles vaccine.
Pneumococcal Vaccination
Pneumococcal Vaccination is available to anyone in a clinical risk group and to anyone over 65 years. Any vaccination appointments can be booked via our Patient Services Team.
Pertusis Vaccination
Pregnant women are reminded to get the whooping cough vaccine.
The PHA is reminding pregnant women to get the whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine between 16 and 32 weeks of their pregnancy.
In 2019 in Northern Ireland 205 cases of confirmed whooping cough were reported to the PHA. During this time, when social distancing measures were in place, the number of cases declined, but now that we are mixing more frequently there is the risk that cases of whooping cough could rise again.
The majority of children who are reported as having whooping cough are infants under six months of age and so are too young to be protected by their routine childhood immunisations which are given at two, three, and four months of age. They can however be protected by their mother receiving the vaccination during pregnancy.
Book through our reception staff.
