Stay protected with Covid-19 and flu vaccinations
Keeping loved ones safe and healthy is everyone’s priority and one of the best ways to protect yourself and others is to be vaccinated. Vaccines give safe and effective protection against severe illness and hospitalisation.
Covid-19 is still around – and it can cause serious infections in some people. The vaccines are still being offered because viruses change, and protection fades over time. It's important to top up your protection if you're eligible.
Covid-19 vaccinations
From 3 October, free Covid-19 vaccinations are available for:
- frontline health and social care workers and staff in care homes for older adults
- residents in a care home for older adults
- all adults aged 65 years and over
- anyone aged six months to 64 years who is in a clinical risk group
Community pharmacies will continue to provide bookable appointments and some walk-ins for people who are eligible.
If you think you are eligible but haven’t been contacted, you can:
- phone your GP practice or
- book an appointment with a community pharmacy:
- on the NHS website
- by calling 119
- through the NHS app
Don’t forget to book your flu jab
From 1 September, free flu vaccinations are available for:
- those who are pregnant
- all children aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August 2024
- all children in clinical risk groups aged from six months to under 18 years
- School-age children (from reception to year 11) will mainly be offered their flu vaccinations at school
From 3 October, free flu vaccinations are available for these age groups:
- anyone aged 65 years and over
- anyone aged 18 to under 65 who is in a clinical risk group (as defined by the Green Book, Influenza Chapter 19)
- anyone in a long-stay residential care home
- carers in receipt of carer’s allowance, or if you are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person
- close contacts of immunocompromised people
- frontline workers in a social care setting without an employer-led occupational health scheme – this includes people working for a registered residential care or nursing home, registered domiciliary care providers, voluntary managed hospice providers and if you are employed by someone who receives direct payments (personal budgets) or personal health budgets, such as personal assistants
Talk to your doctor if you have a long-term condition that is not in one of these groups. They should offer you the flu vaccine if they think you're at risk of serious problems if you get flu.
More information about the local vaccination programme is available on the Sussex Health and Care website.