The NHS is now ready to deliver a vaccination programme for England so that those who need it most will be able to access vaccinations as soon as they are available.
A prioritisation list has been produced in order for the vaccine to be delivered to groups who will need it first. The NHS will contact you when you are eligible to receive the vaccine and provide you with information about location and date. We will contact you when it’s the right time to come forward, so please do not contact the Surgery to seek a vaccine or ask when you will get one.
Key messages for patients / the public
- The vaccine will be given in order of priority to those at highest risk first.
- We will be in contact with you with information about where and when you will need to receive the vaccine
- Please act on your invite when it comes, and make sure you attend your appointments when you arrange them.
- Please continue to abide by all the social distancing and hand hygiene guidance, which will still save lives.
FAQs
When will I be vaccinated?
To enable everyone to get the vaccine in a safe and controlled way, a prioritisation list has been established with care home residents and staff and older people among the first to receive it.
The current vaccine (Pfizer) is complex as it needs to be stored at very cold temperatures and moved carefully in large doses. For the moment the MHRA hasn’t authorised splitting up those doses so they need to be stored and administered via hospital ‘hubs’.
We are currently working with local providers to establish how best they can safely deliver the vaccine to the most at-risk groups, including those aged 80 and over and health and social care workers, in those hospital hubs when we have the vaccines in place.
How will I know when I will be able to get vaccinated?
The NHS will contact you when you are eligible to be vaccinated and inform you of the location and date. You will also see messages in your local community. You will be able to book an appointment, either using an online or telephone booking system so that you can choose the right time and location to attend.
What are the priority groups?
- residents in a care home for older adults and their carers
- all those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers
- all those 75 years of age and over
- all those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals (excluding pregnant women and those under 16)
- all those 65 years of age and over
- all individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality
- all those 60 years of age and over
- all those 55 years of age and over
- all those 50 years of age and over
- rest of the population (priority to be determined)
Where will I be vaccinated?
The NHS has well-established ways of delivering large-scale vaccinations across the country, for example the annual flu jab and routine immunisations for children and pregnant women, which are primarily led by GPs and community pharmacies and often delivered using local facilities. The delivery of the COVID-19 vaccination programme will build on these.
Given the current requirements for social distancing, and the number of people covered, you will either be asked to attend your GP surgery or another location, such as another NHS building or designated vaccination centre that will enable people to be vaccinated safely.
Which vaccine will I be given?
There continue to be a number of other vaccines being developed and trialled, we don’t yet know which of these will be approved for use or when this might happen.
Any vaccines that are available will have been approved because they pass the MHRA’s tests on safety and efficacy, so people can be assured that whatever vaccine they get, it is worth their while.