General Practice - Influenza
Influenza - Vaccinations
General information
Influenza vaccination is an effective, safe and well-tolerated method of preventing or reducing the impact of influenza infection and is specifically recommended for people who are at higher risk of developing serious complications. Each year, Scotland's Chief Medical, Nursing and Pharmaceutical Officers send a letter to all NHS Scotland organisations involved in the seasonal flu vaccination campaign with detailed information regarding the vaccination policy for the coming season. These letters are available from the Scottish Government website; for example for the 2009/10 and 2010/11 seasons.
The Scottish Government currently recommends that seasonal influenza vaccination is offered to the following groups:
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All those aged 65 years and over
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All patients aged 6 months to 65 years in the following high risk groups:
- Chronic respiratory disease, including asthma (if requiring continuous or repeated use of medication)
- Chronic heart disease
- Chronic renal disease
- Chronic liver disease
- Chronic neurological disease (cerebrovascular disease - principally stroke and transient ischaemic attacks or TIAs - multiple sclerosis and related conditions, and hereditary and degenerative disease of the central nervous system)
- Diabetes mellitus (including these controlling their condition by diet alone)
- Those with immunosuppression -
Those living in long-stay residential and nursing homes or other long-stay facilities
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Unpaid carers
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Poultry workers
The 'trivalent' seasonal vaccine (aiming to provide immunity for three different strains of influenza) that will be used in the 2010/11 season will also offer protection from the H1N1 strain that caused the pandemic in 2009. Because pregnant women are deemed at particular risk of complications if they contract the H1N1 virus, the recommendations for the 2010/11 season suggest that pregnant women, even if they have no clinical risk conditions, are also given the seasonal flu vaccination if they have not already been vaccinated against the H1N1 strain of influenza. In addition, the 'monovalent' H1N1 vaccine used in addition to the seasonal flu vaccine in 2009/10 will still be available for specific patient groups; more details can be found in the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) letter and can be obtained from any general practice.
The following pages give more information on:
- seasonal flu vaccination uptake (sourced from Practitioner Services Division and Health Protection Scotland)
- the number of vaccine doses dispensed in the community across Scotland (sourced from the Prescribing Information System, ISD Scotland)
- estimated patient contact rates for flu vaccination for the different clinical disciplines within general practices in Scotland, based on Practice Team Information (PTI).
More information regarding the H1N1 vaccination campaign that started late in 2009 can be found in our H1N1 vaccination pages, and more extensively on the Health Protection Scotland (HPS) website .
Related influenza information:
Influenza - GP Consultations
Influenza - Vaccinations
General information
Vaccination uptake
Monthly vaccines dispensed
Annual vaccines dispensed
PTI vaccination contacts - all ages
PTI vaccination contacts - 65 years and over
H1N1 vaccination
Influenza - Surveillance
PTI queries 
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