Seasonal flu vaccination programme 2019-2020
03 September 2019
Article: 53/3502
The Scottish Government has published details of the arrangements for the seasonal flu vaccination programme 2019-2020 in adults aged 65 years and over and those aged under 65 years with an ‘at-risk’ health condition. The key points of note for the 2019/20 seasonal flu vaccination programme are as follows:
- All adults aged 65 years and over will receive either an adjuvanted trivalent inactivated flu vaccine (aTIV) or a cell based quadrivailent inactivated vaccine (QIVc).
- Those aged 18-64 years with an 'at-risk' condition, as well as pregnant women (at all stages of pregnancy), will receive either a cell based quadrivalent inactivated flu vaccine (QIVc) or an egg based quadrivalent inactivated flu vaccine (QIVe).
- There are no changes to the clinical atrisk groups.
- Healthcare workers will be offered egg based quadrivalent inactivated flu vaccine (QIVe).
Separate guidance is available for the childhood flu vaccination programme. Those eligible for the childhood flu vaccination programme include:
- All children aged two-five years (not yet at school) through GP practices (children must be aged two years or above on 1 September 2019).
- All primary school aged children (primary one to primary seven) at school.
Further information about seasonal influenza activity, including vaccine uptake, can be found on the HPS website.
Information on influenza symptoms is also available at the NHSinform flu page.
Workforce educational resources for registered healthcare practitioners can be found at the NHS Education for Scotland seasonal flu page.
Nationally produced resources to support the promotion of the flu vaccine for healthcare workers (HCW) will be available from mid-September 2019 at the NHS Health Scotland HCW page.