Winter Campaign
The winter vaccination programme runs from 15th September 2025 until 31st March 2026. If you’re eligible, you will be invited by letter, email or text message, depending on your selected communication preference.
Ahead of this winter, the flu vaccine is being offered to:
- Those living in long-stay residential care homes or other long-stay care facilities
- All those aged 65 and over
- All those aged 18 to under 65 years in defined risk groups. This includes:
- those in clinical at-risk groups set out in Green Book Chapter 19
- those experiencing homelessness
- those experiencing substance misuse
- asylum seekers living in Home Office hotel or B&B accommodation
- all prisoners within the Scottish prison estate
- pregnant women
- Frontline health and social care workers
- Non-frontline NHS workers
- Poultry workers & bird keepers
- Unpaid carers and young carers
- Household contacts of those with immunosuppression.
COVID-19 vaccine is also being offered to:
- Residents in care homes for older adults
- Adults aged 75 and over
- People with weakened immune systems aged 6 months and over (by 30th January 2026)
You can reschedule your appointment using the online portal or via the National Vaccination Helpline (0800 030 8013).
If you’re invited for a flu / COVID-19 and flu vaccination this winter, it’s because experts know that your age or health condition mean you’re at higher risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19 and/or flu.
Flu vaccines for pregnant women in Ayrshire
If you are currently pregnant you are eligible for a winter flu vaccination because pregnancy is regarded as a category that puts you at greater risk from flu illness. The vaccine is strongly recommended in pregnancy as it is the best way to help protect you and your baby against flu.
Please click the link for further information regarding vaccines in pregnancy: https://www.nhsinform.scot/vaccinesinpregnancy
Choosing how you’d like to be contacted
You can now update your contact details and your preferred method of contact on the online portal. If you select to receive future correspondence about your COVID-19 and flu vaccines by email or SMS then you will no longer receive future letters with this information.
Attending your winter vaccination appointment
Travelling to your appointment
By public transport: Use the Traveline Scotland website to plan your journey and to get advice on using public transport safely. Click here to visit the Traveline Scotland website.
Alternatively you can contact Traveline by phone. Vaccination Related Public Transport Enquiries number (staffed 24 hours, 7 days per week) is 0141 465 1878.
If you have a specific transport issue in relation to getting to your winter vaccination you can also call 01563 826540 for advice.
Interpretation services
For those whose first or preferred language is not English, it is the responsibility of NHS Ayrshire & Arran staff to provide interpretation support for individuals attending for vaccination. Interpretation support is available for those who speak community languages or those who are deaf and use British Sign Language (BSL).
Spoken community languages: Language interpretation support for spoken community languages can be provided via Language Line telephone interpreting services. When an individual attends the vaccination clinic they can request support via Language Line and the member of staff will arrange this.
British Sign Language (BSL): In order for a BSL interpreter to attend with an individual at the vaccination centres, contact should be made in advance to request an interpreter to attend. The contact number for this is 0333 344 7712 and staff will arrange this with our service provider Sign Language Interactions in advance of attending.
Rescheduling your winter vaccination appointment
Appointments are generally allocated at the vaccination centre that is closest to your home postcode.
If you have received your appointment letter but the date, time or location of your appointment is unsuitable you should rearrange your appointment.
You can rearrange your appointment online or by calling the COVID-19 Vaccination Helpline on 0800 030 8013 available Monday to Friday 9am – 6pm and 9am – 1pm on Saturday.
Recently changed address?
Please update your address details with your GP practice – this will help to ensure your scheduled appointment for vaccination reaches you at the correct location. If you have missed your vaccination appointment because of this you can reschedule online or by calling the COVID-19 Vaccination Helpline on 0800 030 8013.Appointments are generally allocated at the vaccination centre that is closest to your home postcode.
If you have received your appointment letter but the date, time or location of your appointment is unsuitable you should rearrange your appointment.
You can rearrange your appointment online or by calling the COVID-19 Vaccination Helpline on 0800 030 8013 available Monday to Friday 9am – 6pm and 9am – 1pm on Saturday.
Recently changed address?
Please update your address details with your GP practice – this will help to ensure your scheduled appointment for vaccination reaches you at the correct location. If you have missed your vaccination appointment because of this you can reschedule online or by calling the COVID-19 Vaccination Helpline on 0800 030 8013.
Vaccinations for housebound patients
NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s Mass Vaccination Service will begin delivering winter vaccinations to those who are housebound from Monday 15th September 2025. For those eligible citizens who are housebound, the Mass Vaccination Service will contact you to arrange a home visit. This winter, we aim to complete all housebound vaccinations by early December 2025. If you are housebound and have not been contacted by mid November 2025, please call the national helpline 0800 030 8013.