About winter vaccinations
Having the vaccines you need can help you stay well over the winter.
Research Research is a way of finding out information which could come from books, or asking people what they think. shows people with a learning disability A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things. are more likely to become seriously unwell from winter illnesses, including the flu and pneumonia.
Vaccines do not always stop you catching an illness, but if you do get them, you are likely to have milder symptoms and get better faster.
Bookings open for flu and COVID-19 (Coronavirus) vaccines open in the autumn and close at the end of winter.
It is best to get any vaccines you need as soon as possible to protect Protect means keeping someone or something safe. you for the whole of autumn and winter.
Some vaccines last a long time and only need to be given once in a person's life. Some vaccines need to be given more often to work, for example, once or twice a year.
It is very important to have any vaccines you need every year as the protection they give can get weaker over time and the illnesses themselves can change.
What vaccines can I get?
The Government The Government are the people who run the country. They decide how much tax people should pay for things and how things like the National Health Service should work. decide who needs to have different vaccines to stop them getting very unwell.
- Everyone with a learning disability can have the flu vaccine for free.
- Some people with a learning disability can have the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) vaccine for free. The Government changed who can have this vaccine last year.
- Some people with a learning disability can also have a pneumonia (pneumococcal) vaccine.
Find out more about the flu, COVID-19 and pneumonia vaccines
How to book winter vaccines (COVID-19 and flu)
You can have flu and COVID-19 (Coronavirus) vaccines at a GP surgery or a pharmacy. Some local areas may also offer other places to have your vaccine.
If you live in England you can book online - or call 119, your GP surgery or pharmacy. Visit the NHS England website for more information.
If you live In Wales you can call or check the
website
A website is a page you can go to on the internet like Google or YouTube.
of your local health board, or the NHS Wales website, for more information about how to get a vaccine.
If you live in Northern Ireland you can call your GP surgery or community A community is the people and places in an area. pharmacy - or book online.
How to book a pneumonia (Pneumococcal) vaccine
You can book a pneumonia vaccine at any time of year. Most adults will only need to have the vaccine once in their life.
Speak to your GP surgery to find out if you need a pneumonia vaccine.
Flu and COVID-19 vaccine Easy Read information
Different vaccines protect you against different illnesses. For example, the flu vaccine will not protect you from coronavirus, and the coronavirus vaccine will not protect you from the flu. So it is important to have all the vaccines that the NHS The NHS is the National Health Service. The NHS gives free healthcare to everyone in the UK and includes things like your GP (doctors) surgery and hospitals. say you need.
You can have any vaccines you need on the same day, or you can have them on different days.
There are lots of things healthcare services and healthcare workers can do differently to help you.
Read our Easy Read about vaccine reasonable adjustments.
If you think you will need a lot of support, let your GP surgery know as soon as possible.
You could also ask for help from your community learning disability service.
No one should miss out on a vaccine because they find it hard to make the decision for themselves.
With the right support many people with a learning disability will be able to make a decision about whether or not to have a vaccination.
You can ask your GP or healthcare service to help you understand more about having the vaccine, including asking for
accessible
Accessible means something is easy for people to use or join in with. For example: Accessible writing means the writing is easy to read and understand.
information or for someone to talk to about it.
If you are worried that the person you support may not be able to make this decision for themselves, we would advise you to speak to their GP as soon as possible.
The GP will check if the person can make the decision for themselves, and if the doctor finds they cannot decide for themselves, the doctor can work with you both to decide what is in the person's best interests.
If you think you will need extra support contact your community learning disability team as soon as possible.
You can contact the Mencap Learning Disability Helpline for advice or support.