Vaccinations

We offer a range of clinics and services here at St Peters Medical Centre for all your vaccination needs and advice.

Travel clinic

In order to assist us to make a full assessment of the potential risks to your health from your planned travel, we would ask that you make a Travel Clinic appointment with our Practice Nurse. Ideally, this appointment should be made around the time of booking your holiday, at least 6 weeks before you travel.

At your appointment we may ask the following questions to help us plan for your trip:

  • When are you departing and for how long?
  • Where are you going, including the destinations within a country?
  • Where are you staying, e.g. backpacking, camping, hotels?
  • Are you planning to undertake any high risk activities?
  • Have you taken out travel insurance and have you informed the company of any existing medical condition?
  • If female and of child bearing age, is there any possibility you could be pregnant, or are you planning a pregnancy?
  • Do you have any medical conditions, or a history of significant medical illness? (these can influence the choice of malaria tablets we recommend)

It would help us greatly if you had some awareness of the travel problems that you may be at risk from on your trip before you come for your appointment.

Useful links

Fit for Travel

Travel Health Pro

National Travel Health Network and Centre

Childhood immunisations

One of the most important things that a parent can do for their child is to make sure that they have all their routine childhood vaccinations. It’s the most effective way of keeping them protected against infectious diseases.

Ideally, children should have their jabs at the right age to protect them as early as possible and minimise the risk of infection.

Find out which jabs your child needs, when they need them, and what the benefits of each jab are.

Please call the surgery to make an appointment.

For more information please visit the websites below:

Useful links

NHS Choice – Vaccinations for you and your family

Childhood Immunisation Schedule

National Immunisation Schedule

Flu immunisation

Seasonal flu is a highly infectious illness caused by a flu virus.

The virus infects your lungs and upper airways, causing a sudden high temperature and general aches and pains.

You could also lose your appetite, feel nauseous and have a dry cough. Symptoms can last for up to a week.

We offer ‘at risk’ groups the flu vaccine at a certain time each year to protect you against the flu virus.

We are inviting the following groups of patients for their flu Immunisation:

  • those over 65 years of age
  • those that are pregnant
  • children Aged 2 to 3
  • if you have had:
    • a serious heart or chest complaint, including asthma
    • a serious heart or chest complaint, including asthma
    • serious kidney disease
    • diabetes
    • lowered immunity due to disease or treatment such as steroid medication or cancer treatment
    • if you have ever had a stroke

If you have any queries please contact the surgery.

Flu vaccination clarification for patients aged 50-64 years old

Please note that people in the 50-64 year old age group will not be vaccinated until November and December, providing their is sufficient vaccine and no appointment will be offered for this group until this time.  This is to ensure those who are most at risk are vaccinated first.  If you are 50-64 and you are in one of the groups mentioned above, which is eligible for the flu vaccination, you will be invited when supplied of vaccination arrive to the practice.

Useful links

NHS Choices – Flu and the Flu Vaccine

Pneumococcal vaccine

The pneumococcal vaccine (or ‘pneumo jab’ or pneumonia vaccine as it’s also known) protects against pneumococcal infections.

Pneumococcal infections are caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae and can lead to pneumonia, septicaemia (a kind of blood poisoning) and meningitis.

Read more about why the pneumococcal vaccination is needed.

Who should have the pneumococcal vaccine?

A pneumococcal infection can affect anyone. However, some people need the pneumococcal vaccination because they are at higher risk of complications. These include:

  • all children under the age of two
  • adults aged 65 or over
  • children and adults with certain long-term health conditions, such as a serious heart or kidney condition

Read more about who should have the pneumo jab.

How often is the pneumococcal vaccine given?

Babies receive the pneumococcal vaccine as three separate injections, at 2 months, 4 months and 12-13 months.

People over-65 only need a single pneumococcal vaccination which will protect for life. It is not given annually like the flu jab.

People with a long term health condition may need just a single one-off pneumococcal vaccination or five-yearly vaccination depending on their underlying health problem.

COVID-19

COVID-19 vaccination is safe and effective. It gives you the best protection against COVID-19.

The NHS website provides information about the vaccination, who can get it, and safety and side effects.

Find out about COVID-19 vaccination

Polio booster vaccinations

All parents of children at St Peter’s Medical Centre should have received the following text messages on Monday 22nd August 2022

Polio vaccination for your child aged over 5 to 9 years

You should have recently received a letter from NHS England regarding a booster polio vaccine vaccination for your child.  It is expected that children aged 5 and over to 9 years old will be vaccinated in the community, at pharmacist or at school.  Children aged 5-9 are currently not being vaccinated at GP practices.  We will be in contact you shortly to let you know where you will be able to book a booster vaccination for your child once all arrangements have been finalised.

Polio vaccination for your child aged 1 to 4 years an 11 months

You should have recently received a letter from NHS England regarding a booster polio vaccine for your child. Children aged 1 to 4yr 11 months will be vaccinated here at St Peter’s Medical Centre.  You may now contact reception team in order to book your child’s Polio booster vaccination on 020 8 864 4868.  Please note, we are not vaccinating any children aged 5 and over at the practice.

Related information

NHS vaccinations and when to have them