Health Immunisations

This protects against the varicella zoster virus that causes chickenpox. The vaccine is given as two separate injections, usually into the upper arm, four to eight weeks apart.

It is recommended for certain individuals, such as healthcare workers and people who come into close contact with someone who has a weakened immune system. This is to lower the chances of infecting those at risk.

Update as of 6th, August 2022: We have limited availability for this immunisation, so its recommended to book them soon.

You can get infected with hepatitis B if you have contact with an infected person’s blood or other body fluids. For full protection, you will need three injections of hepatitis B vaccine over four to six months. Five year boosters are recommended for anyone thought to be at continuing risk of infection. People at risk of hepatitis B and who should therefore consider vaccination are:

• people who inject drugs or have a partner who injects drugs
• men who have sex with men
• people who change their sexual partners frequently
• babies born to infected mothers
• close family and sexual partners of someone with hepatitis B
• people with any form of liver disease
• anyone who receives regular blood transfusions or blood products
• people with chronic kidney disease
• people travelling to high-risk countries
• male and female sex workers
• people who work somewhere that places them at risk of contact with blood or body fluids, such as nurses, prison staff, doctors, dentists and laboratory staff
• prisoners
• families adopting/fostering children from high-risk countries

The HPV vaccine, also known as the Cervical Cancer Vaccine is usually given to girls over the age of 12 and up to the age of 18.

According to Cancer Research UK, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women under the age of 35. In the UK, 2,900 women a year are diagnosed with cervical cancer, that’s around eight women every day. It’s estimated that about 400 lives could be saved every year in the UK as a result of vaccinating girls before they are infected with HPV.

The HPV vaccine consists of two injections into the upper arm spaced at least six, and not more than 24 months apart.

Research has indicated that the HPV vaccine protects against cervical cancer for at least 20 years.

Flu vaccination by injection, commonly known as the “flu jab” is to protect adults (and some children) at risk of flu and its complications.

Flu can be unpleasant, but if you are otherwise healthy it will usually clear up on its own within a week. However, flu can be more severe in certain people, such as:

• Anyone over the age of 65
• Pregnant women
• Children and adults with an underlying health condition (particularly long-term heart or respiratory disease)
• Children and adults with weakened immune systems

Anyone in these risk groups is more likely to develop potentially serious complications of flu, such as pneumonia (a lung infection), so it’s recommended that they have a flu vaccine every year to protect them.

MMR is a safe and effective combined vaccine that protects against 3 separate illnesses – measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) – in a single injection. The full course of MMR vaccination requires 2 doses.

Meningitis and septicaemia caused by meningococcal group B bacteria can affect people of any age, but is most common in babies and young children.

Meningococcal infections can be very serious, causing meningitis and septicaemia (blood poisoning), which can lead to severe brain damage, amputations and, in some cases, death. The Men B vaccine will protect your baby against infection by meningococcal group B bacteria, which are responsible for more than 90% of meningococcal infections in young children.

Babies given the Men B vaccine alongside their other routine vaccinations at two and four months are likely to develop fever within the first 24 hours after vaccination. It’s important that you give your baby liquid paracetamol following vaccination to reduce the risk of fever. Our nurse will give you more information about paracetamol at your vaccination appointment.

Other common side effects include irritability and redness and tenderness at the injection site. The liquid paracetamol will also help with these symptoms.

The schedule below shows the age and number of doses for the Men B vaccine as recommended.

Cases of meningitis and septicaemia (blood poisoning) caused by Men W bacteria are rising, due to a particularly deadly strain. Older teenagers and university students are at high risk of infection because many of them mix closely with lots of new people, some of whom may unknowingly carry the meningococcal bacteria.

Young teenagers, sixth formers and ‘fresher’ students going to university for the first time are advised to have a vaccination to prevent meningitis W disease ideally before the start of or in the first few weeks of the academic year.

The highest risk of meningitis is in the first year of university, particularly the first few months. As the Men ACWY vaccine is being targeted at those at highest risk, students in their second year or above of university are not included in this vaccination programme.

The Men ACWY vaccine is given by a single injection into the upper arm and protects against four different causes of meningitis and septicaemia – meningococcal (Men) A, C, W and Y diseases.

The pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) is given to people aged 65 and over, and to people at high risk due to long term health conditions.

The pneumococcal vaccine protects against pneumococcal infections, which are caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae and can lead to pneumonia, septicaemia (a kind of blood poisoning) and meningitis. A pneumococcal infection can affect anyone.

The Shingles vaccine is for individuals aged 50 and above.

Also known as herpes zoster, Shingles is a painful skin rash caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus (varicella-zoster virus) in people who have previously had chickenpox.

It begins with a burning sensation in the skin, followed by a rash of very painful fluid-filled blisters that can then burst and turn into sores before healing. Often an area on just one side of the body is affected, usually the chest but sometimes the head, face and eye.

Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a highly infectious bacterial disease spread from person to person by the respiratory route, and starts with non-specific catarrhal (‘common cold’) symptoms.

The disease is present worldwide and despite sustained high vaccine coverage a number of countries have seen a resurgence of whooping cough in recent years.

The whooping cough vaccine is highly effective given during pregnancy to optimise transfer of antibodies from mother to unborn baby, thereby protecting the infant from birth until they reach the age of routine immunisations (8 weeks).

Dosage for children: Three doses given to babies given at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age. A single pre-school booster dose: given at 3 years, 4 months old or soon after.

Dosage for adults: Single dose.

Dosage for pregnant women: Single dose ideally between 20-32 weeks gestation.