Vaccinations

Changes to delivery of vaccination programme 

 Whether you are staying at home or heading abroad vaccines are here to keep you safe. They help protect you and your family from certain infectious diseases.  

In the past those requiring a routine vaccination will have been invited to attend an appointment at your local GP Practice. As from 01 March 2023 most vaccinations will be delivered by the Health Board as part of a national vaccination transformation programme. 

This will cover vaccines such as childhood vaccines including the primary immunisation course for infants and the pre-school booster, as well as adult vaccination programmes such as the shingles vaccine.    

Dr Tim Allison, Director of Public Health for NHS Highland said: “How you get invited to attend for your vaccination is not going to change. You will still be invited by letter to make an appointment for vaccination but going forwards this may now be at a new local venue dependant on where you live.  

 “Our local Service Delivery Centre will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about your appointment and our teams in our locally run clinics will ensure everything goes smoothly on the day.” 

Travel vaccinations have already begun to transition to health board delivery with a number of community pharmacies across Highland now carrying out this service.  

Immunisation is one of the most effective public health interventions for preventing illness and deaths from infectious diseases and we would encourage you to attend for your vaccinations when invited.  

Further information is available on the NHS Highland website.  

How will I know when my appointment is? 

You will receive a letter from NHS Highland with either a set appointment or advice to contact the Highland Service Delivery Centre (SDC) to make an appointment at a clinic location. The contact details for the SDC are 08000 320339 or nhsh.covidvaccine@nhs.scot  

 What do I do if I have a query about my appointment? 

If you have a query about your appointment please contact the SDC on the details above and they will register the issue. The community teams will then be contacted to help investigate as needed.  

 What do I do if I have a clinical query about vaccinations? 

If you have a clinical query please contact NHS Highland’s Health Protection Team. The details for the Health Protection Team are 01463 704886 and the email address for the Health Protection Team is hpt.highland@nhs.scot.