Vaccines are one of the safest and most effective ways to protect yourself, your family, and your community from serious diseases. 

Why Vaccinate?

• To prevent serious illnesses like flu, measles, and pneumonia
• To protect those who are more vulnerable, like babies and the elderly
• To reduce the spread of infections in the community
• To keep yourself and your loved ones safe and healthy

Who Should Get Vaccinated?

Vaccines help at every stage of life.  

Scroll down to find out more about the free NHS vaccines that the Practice offers for babies, children, and adults.

Download our Vaccines Patient Information leaflet, developed with the input of The Barcellos Family Practice Patient Participation Group.

Viruses change, and protection fades over time.  The COVID-19 vaccine helps protect against COVID-19 virus, which can be a serious or life-threatening illness.  People at increased risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19 are invited to receive the vaccine, which the NHS usually offers in spring and early winter.

Getting the COVID vaccine can help reduce your risk of getting severe symptoms and help you recover more quickly if you catch COVID. It protects against different types of the COVID virus and can help reduce your risk of being hospitalised if you become infected.

We publish details of seasonal COVID-19 vaccination arrangements on our Facebook page and this web page following confirmation by the NHS each season.

Learn more about the COVID-19 vaccination on the NHS website.

Meningococcal disease (meningitis and septicaemia) is a rare but life-threatening disease caused by meningococcal bacteria. 

Older teenagers and new university students are at higher risk of infection because many of them mix closely with lots of new people, some of whom may unknowingly carry the meningococcal bacteria at the back of their nose and throat.

"Fresher" students going to university for the first time should make sure they've had the MenACWY vaccine to prevent meningitis and septicaemia, which can be deadly. 

The MenACWY vaccine is usually given to children at age 13 or 14 (school year 9).

If you missed getting the vaccine when you were at school, you can still get it up to age 25.

For more information, visit the MenACWY vaccine overview page on the NHS website.

Contact us to book an appointment

Who is Eligible?

You are eligible for the free NHS RSV vaccine if you fall into any of the following groups:

• Adults aged 75 and over: You become eligible on your 75th birthday.  
• Residents in care homes for older adults: Eligible regardless of age.
• Pregnant women: You are eligible during every pregnancy once you reach 28 weeks. Having the vaccine while pregnant passes antibodies to your baby, protecting them during their first few months of life when they are most vulnerable.  

How to Get Your Vaccine

• If you are pregnant: Speak to your midwife at your 28-week antenatal appointment, or contact our reception team to book an appointment with our practice nurse.  
• If you are aged 75 or over: We will contact you by text message, letter, or phone call when you are due. If you think you were missed or have recently turned 75, please get in touch with reception to book.  

Useful Links

• Read the NHS guide to the RSV vaccine for older adults.
• Read the NHS guide to the RSV vaccine during pregnancy.

The MMRV vaccine is a safe and effective combined vaccine that replaced the MMR vaccine in the routine schedule on 1 January 2026. It protects your child against four serious illnesses in fewer injections:

• Measles
• Mumps
• Rubella (German Measles)
• Chickenpox

These conditions are highly infectious and can spread easily between unvaccinated people. 

Why the change?

The addition of the chickenpox component (Varicella) helps prevent this common, easily spread infection in children. It is usually mild, but it can lead to serious complications which need hospitalisation, including chest infections and fits.

By using the combined MMRV vaccine, the NHS has also moved the second dose earlier (from 3 years 4 months to 18 months) to ensure children are fully protected before they start nursery or pre-school.

The Vaccination Schedule

Two doses of the vaccine are required for lifelong protection. There is currently no medical treatment for measles, so vaccination is the only way to prevent becoming seriously unwell.

The MMR vaccine is still available for older children and adults born on or before 31 December 2019 who were not vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella when they were younger.

Visit the NHS website for more information about the MMRV vaccine.

The pneumococcal vaccine protects against serious and potentially fatal pneumococcal infections. It’s also known as the pneumonia vaccine.

Pneumococcal infections 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. But some people are at higher risk of serious illness, so it’s recommended they’re given the pneumococcal vaccination on the NHS.

These include:

• babies
• adults aged 65 or over
• children and adults who are at risk of pneumococcal infection, such as those with a serious heart or kidney infection including those with severe autoimmunity

This vaccine is not given annually like the flu jab. Usually you only need a single pneumococcal vaccination.  If you have a long-term health condition you may only need a single, one-off pneumococcal vaccination, or a vaccination every 5 years, depending on your underlying health problem.

If you or a family member is in this group, please contact us to check eligibility.

For more information about the Pneumonia vaccine please visit the NHS website.

This guide can help you understand the vaccines offered in the UK and when to have them. It also explains how they work and why they’re safe and important.  Follow this link for more information about vaccinations from NHS UK.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding vaccinations, please contact us.

Foreign travel may expose patients to certain infections.  So, If you're planning to travel outside the UK, find out what vaccinations you might need on our Travel Health page.

Childhood immunisation is an important aspect of your child's healthcare.  For information on routine childhood immunisation, please visit our Children's Health page.