Immunisation saves millions of lives every year, with vaccines reducing the risks of getting a disease by working with the body’s natural defences to build protection.
In the UK, we now have vaccines to prevent more than 20 life-threatening diseases, helping people of all ages live longer, healthier lives. Vaccines are also critical to the prevention and control of infectious disease outbreak.
Most vaccinations are administered during the early years of a persons’ life via the GP, primary healthcare system. We also provide some vaccination services.
Vaccination services we provide
We provide vaccinations for the protection of eligible populations across the whole of Somerset, including our patients and colleagues.
Our services are divided, the Somerset School-Aged Immunisations Nursing Team provide vaccinations to school age children.
All other vaccines are managed by two teams The East and The West Somerset Foundation NHS Trust. (This does not include travel vaccines.)
COVID-19 vaccinations
There are sites across the county. When booking look for a venue near you. The programme runs for 2 to 3 months each time and if a local venue is not available at the time, this likely means all appointment have been taken. Keep looking as appointments are added regularly.
COVID-19 vaccinations booking
When the demand drops during the vaccination programme, sites will open up for walk ins and this will be announced online. Unfortunately, we cannot offer walk ins during the first few weeks of the programme.
Please check whether you are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination first before booking.
To book a COVID-19 vaccination through the National Booking System, call 119 or book online on the NHS website.
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust colleague COVID-19 and flu vaccinations
We provide COVID-19 and flu vaccinations for all frontline NHS colleagues. Vaccinations are offered when advised by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and held annually in the Autumn.
Venues for colleagues to get their vaccinations are available across the county, these include vaccination clinics, Acute and Community Hospitals.
Please check our Wellbeing and Support page on the Trust’s intranet for more information about the COVID-19 and flu vaccinations.
Occupational vaccinations
For Somerset NHS Foundation Trust colleagues who require other occupational vaccinations please contact Occupation Health.
Somerset School Age Immunisation Service Nursing Team (SAINT)
SAINT provide school age vaccinations in schools and various other settings covering the county. For more information, visit our Somerset School Aged Immunisation Nursing page.
Vaccinations in pregnancy
We offer vaccines during pregnancy, including whooping cough (pertussis), COVID-19, flu and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines.
The maternity vaccination clinics are posted regularly on the Somerset maternity Facebook and Instagram groups and notifications go out on Badgernet promoting the clinic dates, times and locations.
The maternity vaccination team can also be contacted on Maternityvaccinationteam@somersetft.nhs.uk
Other vaccines
We continue to offer a team to provide a range of vaccinations on an as needed basis, for example in response to a rise in public health concerns, a worrying increase in disease presentation or any other reason.