Immunisations information & resources
This page provides an overview of key immunisation guidance, training, and practical tools designed to support general practice teams in delivering safe, effective, and up?to?date vaccination services.
Routine Immunisation Guidance
For the latest official UK vaccination guidance, schedules, and resources, visit the Gov.UK Immunisation Collection website.
It brings together up?to?date information from UK Health Security Agency, including vaccine programmes, childhood immunisation schedules, training materials for healthcare professionals, and downloadable leaflets for the public. You can explore the full collection on GOV.UK for clear, trusted advice on all national vaccines.
Seasonal Vaccination information
Flu and COVID?19 vaccinations are offered each autumn to protect those most at risk during the winter months. Immunity from previous doses reduces over time, and both viruses continue to circulate and cause significant illness each year. Seasonal vaccination helps reduce the spread of infection, prevent severe disease, and ease pressure on health and social care services.
You can find up?to?date eligibility information, vaccine types, and programme updates on the hyperlinks below:
Covid-19 Vaccination Programme
Travel Health & Vaccination
GP practices must provide NHS?funded travel vaccinations and travel health advice. NHS patients are entitled to:
- Free travel health advice, including vaccine and malaria prophylaxis recommendations.
- Free NHS travel vaccines
Some have interpreted the GP Contract as requiring practices only to provide NHS travel vaccines, without the need for pre?travel risk assessments or travel advice. Safe practice requires a full pre?travel risk assessment before any NHS travel vaccine is given. This includes reviewing destination?specific risks, non?vaccine preventive measures (such as safety, food and water hygiene, and accident prevention), vaccine?preventable disease risks, contraindications, medical history, current medications, and ensuring routine immunisations (e.g. MMR) are up to date. Malaria prevention advice is also essential to safeguard the traveller and avoid avoidable NHS treatment costs (Jane Chiodini, 2023).
The CQC states that a pre?travel risk assessment must be completed by the practitioner administering the vaccine under a PGD, or by the practitioner authorising it under a PSD.
The BMA website provides further guidance for GPs and LMCs on travel immunisation regulations, outlining which vaccines must always be provided free of charge, which cannot be offered on the NHS, and which may be given either as an NHS service or privately.
School Aged Immunisation
Sirona Care and Health deliver the national school-age immunisations (SAI) programmes for childhood flu, Human papilloma virus (HPV), Meningococcal ACWY, and the Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio booster (Td/IPV) across Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.
The SAI pathway contains information to support local GP Practices in understanding the programmes for the 2025/26 academic year. The document provides an overview of the pathways for SAI, changes to the programmes, useful resources and contact information.
Immunisation Training
The National Minimum Standards and Core Curriculum for Vaccination Training provide a clear framework for safe, consistent immunisation practice. They outline the essential knowledge and skills every vaccinator should develop, from understanding vaccines and diseases to legal responsibilities and effective communication. The framework also includes a practical competency assessment tool to help ensure vaccinators are fully prepared and confident in delivering vaccinations.
Avon LMC offers a range of immunisation training for both registered and unregistered staff. For more details, please visit our website.
What immunisations are we commissioned to provide in general practice?
Please see the below excel spreadsheet which has been collated to help practices understand their 25/26 contractual obligations in relation to immunisation services, please note due to the nature of immunisation provisions this may be subject to further changes.
How to use this spreadsheet:
Each tab along the bottom represents different patient cohorts eg child, adult, travel etc.
In the columns, you will find information relating to the age or eligibility cohort, the vaccines, whether any IoS fee is payable, additional information, how the vaccine is commissioned and a reference to the information.
Staff Vaccination & Practice responsibilities
Under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, practices must identify workplace hazards and minimise risks, including those from infectious diseases.
This includes ensuring staff are protected through appropriate immunisations.
Required Vaccinations
Refer to The Green Book, Immunisation of healthcare and laboratory staff: the green book, chapter 12 for recommendations on healthcare staff immunisations.
It is generally not recommended to offer in-house due to:
- Lack of occupational health-trained staff, which may go against the professional’s code of conduct.
- There is currently no legal mechanism for administration, e.g. PGD/National protocol
- Ethical concerns (e.g. confidentiality, treating colleagues, prescribing
- Outside of State-backed indemnity cover (except for Flu, and MMR until March 2026)
CQC states that practices must demonstrate an effective immunisation programme:
- All staff should have access to occupational health assessments.
- New staff should receive pre-employment health assessments.
Avon LMC holds a contract with the Avon Partnership Occupational Health Service to provide discounted occupational health services. This arrangement is primarily intended to support practices in managing needle stick injuries. In addition, practices can access vaccines at discounted rates. To find out more about this service please contact us.
Unregistered Health Care Workers and Consent for Vaccination
Please see the below information relating to Unregistered Health Care Workers and Consent for Vaccination.