Visiting Older Relatives This Winter: COVID-19 Vaccines and Protecting Family

Every December the city empties as students and workers head home, and the question we hear at the counter changes. It is no longer "do I need a jab?" but "how do I avoid making my gran ill?" Many people assume the answer is a COVID-19 vaccine for themselves. The honest picture is more useful than that: the most important vaccine is the one your older relative has, and the most important thing you can do is stay away if you are ill.

This page is for anyone visiting older or vulnerable family this winter, whether that is elsewhere in Edinburgh or a flight away. It explains who is most at risk, how to check that your relatives have had their own vaccines, what your own vaccine does and does not do, and the practical steps that make the biggest difference. For the wider picture, see our guide to the COVID-19 vaccine in Edinburgh.

Who is most at risk from COVID-19 this winter?

The risk of being admitted to hospital with COVID-19 rises steeply with age. Data from England for 2024 to 2025 showed admission rates for people in their eighties many times higher than for people in their fifties. People of any age with a weakened immune system, because of a condition such as cancer or a treatment that suppresses the immune system, are also at much higher risk.

That is why the free COVID-19 vaccine in Scotland this winter goes to three groups: adults aged 75 and over, residents of care homes for older adults, and anyone aged 6 months or over with a weakened immune system. If the person you are visiting is in one of those groups, their own vaccine is the single most important protection they have.

Step one: make sure your relative has had their own vaccines

Older people are invited by letter, text or email through their GP practice. Invitations are easy to miss, especially for people who live alone, have recently moved into sheltered housing, or do not use email. Before you visit, it is worth a phone call to check.

1. Ask whether they have had their COVID-19 vaccine this autumn, and their flu jab. People aged 75 and over are usually offered both at one appointment.
2. If they have not been invited, help them book through the national online booking portal or by calling 0800 030 8013. If they live outside Scotland, check their local health service's arrangements.
3. If they are housebound, a home visit can usually be arranged. Care home residents are vaccinated in the home.
4. Time it before your visit if you can. Protection takes a week or two to build after vaccination.

The aim is to offer everyone eligible a vaccine by 6 December 2026, and the free programme runs until 31 January 2027, so there is still time for anyone who has missed it.

What your own COVID-19 vaccine does, and does not do

This is where most people are surprised. The current COVID-19 vaccines are good at lowering the vaccinated person's own risk of serious illness. They give only limited protection against catching a mild infection, and JCVI, which advises the UK governments, found no clear evidence that they stop people passing the virus on.

So a COVID-19 vaccine for a healthy 25 year old does very little to protect their grandparents. That is one reason it is no longer offered free to healthy young adults. If you are visiting someone vulnerable, the steps further down this page matter far more than a vaccine for yourself.

There are exceptions. If you are in an eligible group yourself, for example because you have a weakened immune system, have your vaccine for your own sake. And if you are in your sixties or seventies and caring for an even older parent, a private dose may be worth discussing with a pharmacist.

Flu: where your own jab helps more

Flu is different. Flu vaccines reduce your chance of catching flu in the first place, which in turn makes you less likely to bring it to an older relative. Flu also peaks in December and January, right when families get together. If you are visiting someone frail, a flu jab at least two weeks before you travel is worth having, even if you are not eligible for a free one.

Our guide to the flu jab in Edinburgh explains who gets one free and what a private flu jab at Forrest Pharmacy includes.

The steps that protect older relatives most

• Stay away if you are ill. If you have a high temperature or feel unwell, put the visit off until you are better. This matters more than anything else on this list.
• Do not visit care homes or hospitals while ill. Official advice is clear on this.
• Watch for mild symptoms. A sore throat, a runny nose or a new cough before a visit is a reason to think again, or to keep the visit short, outdoors or well ventilated.
• Open a window. Fresh air in a warm living room clears airborne viruses. Even a few minutes helps.
• Wash your hands when you arrive and before handling food.
• Consider a test if they are high risk. Most people no longer need to test, but if you have symptoms and are about to see someone with a weakened immune system, a lateral flow test from a pharmacy can help you decide.
• Know what to do if they get ill. People at higher risk may be eligible for antiviral treatment, which needs to start within five days of symptoms.

Our page on COVID-19 symptoms and what to do in Scotland explains how antiviral treatment works for people at higher risk, and when to call a GP, 111 or 999.

Travelling to see family

Long trips by plane, train or coach bring you into close contact with a lot of people just before you arrive. A few things help:

• Get your flu jab early, at least two weeks before you travel.
• Plan a quiet first day if you can, rather than going straight from the airport to a crowded family gathering.
• Pack basic remedies such as paracetamol, so you are not hunting for them if you feel unwell.
• If you are travelling abroad, check whether you need any travel vaccines. Our travel clinic can help.

Getting vaccinated before you visit

For most visitors the most useful vaccine is a flu jab, at least two weeks before you travel. In the calendar below, choose a flu jab, a COVID-19 vaccine, or both at one appointment, then pick a time. Forrest Pharmacy is at 45 Forrest Road, Edinburgh EH1 2QP, close to bus routes from across the city, and open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 5pm. If you are not sure whether a vaccine makes sense for you, ask a pharmacist: we will give you a straight answer.

Questions about protecting older relatives

Should I get a COVID-19 vaccine before visiting my grandparents?

If you are healthy and under 75, a COVID-19 vaccine mainly protects you, not them. Making sure they have had their own vaccine, and staying away if you are ill, protects them far more.

How do I know if my gran has had her vaccine?

Ask her, or ask whoever helps with her appointments. If she is 75 or over and has not had it, she can book online or by calling 0800 030 8013.

Will a flu jab help protect my relatives?

It helps more than a COVID-19 vaccine does, because it lowers your chance of catching flu. Have it at least two weeks before you visit.

I have a slight cold. Should I still visit?

If your relative is frail or has a weakened immune system, think carefully. Keep the visit short, well ventilated or outdoors, or put it off until you feel better.

Can my relative have their flu and COVID-19 vaccines together?

Yes. Most people aged 75 and over are offered both at one appointment.

My relative lives in England. Are the rules the same?

Similar, but not always identical. Check the health service advice for where they live, or ask their GP practice.

Related reading

• COVID-19 Vaccine in Edinburgh for Students, Working Adults and Families
• COVID-19 Symptoms in 2026: What to Do, and When to Get Help
• COVID-19 Vaccine for Students in Edinburgh: Do You Need One?
• COVID-19 Vaccines for International Students in Edinburgh
• Flu Jab in Edinburgh for Students and Working Adults: The 2026/27 Guide

Reviewed by Ather Diab, Superintendent Pharmacist and Independent Prescriber (GPhC 2233707). Forrest Pharmacy, 45 Forrest Road, Edinburgh EH1 2QP. Last reviewed: 29 October 2026.

This page is general information and does not replace an individual assessment. COVID-19 and flu vaccines are prescription-only medicines and are only given after a check that vaccination is suitable for you. In an emergency, call 999.

Sources: Scottish Government, Winter Programme 2026, SGHD/CMO(2026)18; JCVI advice on COVID-19 vaccination for autumn 2026 and spring 2027; UKHSA Green Book, chapter 14a (COVID-19), including hospital admission rates by age.