Public Health Scotland has published details about this year’s Winter Flu and COVID-19 Vaccination Programme.
Individuals with Down’s syndrome aged 6 months+ are eligible for both the flu and COVID winter vaccines as detailed below.
We are very concerned that unpaid carers are not shown as being eligible for the 2024 Winter COVID vaccine. We are currently in contact with Public Health Scotland and The Scottish Government to challenge this as we know that many of you in our community are the sole (unpaid) carer for a loved one with Down’s syndrome and will be highly anxious about contracting COVID and being unable to care for them. We will update you once we have more information on this.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recently published its advice to UK governments on the forthcoming COVID-19 Vaccination Programme. Similar to previous Winter Vaccination Programme, the JCVI’s advice is to offer the vaccine to those at high risk of serious disease and who are therefore most likely to benefit from vaccination. You can read the JCVI statement here.
Scotland’s Winter Vaccination Programme will be delivered at local level by Health Boards across the country.
Invitations to book or attend an appointment are being sent to those who are eligible.
Who will be offered the Vaccines?
You’ll be offered the Flu Vaccine if you’re:
You’ll be offered Flu and Coronavirus Vaccines this winter if you’re:
If you need to book or rearrange a vaccine appointment for children under 12 years, you should call the number on your child’s letter.
Please click on the links below for more details:
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccine and Health Conditions – See sections titled ‘Adults aged 16 and over with health conditions’ and ‘Children aged under 16 with health conditions’. Down’s syndrome is an eligible condition under Chronic neurological disease or condition.
COVID-19: the green book, chapter 14a – See pages 24 and 26: ‘Table 3: Clinical risk groups for individuals aged 16 years and over’ and ‘Table 4: Clinical risk groups for individuals aged under 16 years’. Down’s syndrome is an eligible condition under Chronic neurological disease.
Scotland’s Winter Vaccination Programme has started – Public Health Scotland
Winter Vaccines – NHS Inform
Flu Vaccine – NHS Inform – See section titled ‘Eligible Health Conditions’. Down’s syndrome is an eligible condition under Chronic neurological disease (from 6 months or older)
Child Flu Vaccine – NHS Inform
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccine – NHS Inform
Winter Vaccine Leaflets – NHS Inform
Information in Easy Read about the Winter Flu and COVID-19 Vaccines – Public Health Scotland
Scottish Vaccine Update – Issue 83 – Scottish Vaccine Update – Public Health Scotland
Please contact our Family Support Service Team on 0300 030 2121, email familysupportservice@dsscotland.org.uk or use live chat (when available) for any enquiries relating to the Winter Flu or Covid-19 Vaccination Programme.
We wanted to let you know that Healthcare Improvement Scotland have published the new Pregnancy Screening draft standards and these are now open for consultation.
These standards are for pregnancy screening related to:
The standards are a revision of the 2019 standards for Pregnancy screening previously referred to as Fetal anomaly screening. The standards will support the delivery of this aspect of the national pregnancy screening programme.
We, Down’s Syndrome Scotland, have been involved as a Stakeholder in the Pregnancy Screening Standards Development and Editorial Groups to ensure that they are inclusive and respectful of our community. We are pleased to share that in response to our request the word ‘Fetal’ will no longer be a term used within pregnancy screening when referring to a baby during pregnancy.
You can read the standards on Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s website here.
You can give feedback on the draft standards by completing an online survey here.
The consultation on the draft standards closes at 5pm on 19th August 2024.
If you have issues completing the form, you can contact Healthcare Improvement Scotland at his.screeningstandards@nhs.scot.
Healthcare Improvement Scotland will collate comments received on the standards at the end of the consultation period and use these to inform the development of the final standards.The final Pregnancy Screening standards are due for publication in December 2024.
If you have any further questions or would like to speak to us about any of this you can email us at familysupportservice@dsscotland.org.uk or call us on 0300 030 2121.