Coronavirus: News from our partners – COVID-19 booster vaccinations rolling out via appointment only
News from our partners COVID-19 Vaccination Service
The NHS in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin will start delivering COVID-19 booster vaccinations to people in eligible groups as of this week via appointment only, as the biggest and most successful vaccination programme in health service history progresses to the next stage.
In line with new guidance set out by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the NHS Vaccination Programme will now invite eligible people, who had their second jab at least six months ago, for their booster dose.
As of Monday 20 September 2021 morning, the National Booking Service (NBS) (www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination and 119) went live allowing eligible people to book their COVID-19 booster vaccine appointments in vaccine sites that are on the NBS.
Text messages and letters have started to be sent out to eligible people from yesterday morning and throughout the next week in a phased way.
As this will be phased, people will only be able to book once they are invited. For people that aren’t invited to book on NBS straight away, or where they haven’t been contacted and booked through another service, they will be contacted and able to book in the near future. People do not need to contact the NHS to arrange their booster vaccine, as the NHS will be in touch when they become eligible for the jab.
Steve Ellis, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Vaccination Programme Lead, said:
“Our hardworking staff have been gearing up to deliver the booster programme, to give further protection to health and social care workers, as well as those most at risk from COVID-19.
“The message from us is simple: your turn will come and it will be via appointment only, so there is no need for you to contact the NHS or your local GP practice about this. The NHS will be in touch with you when it is your turn to get your booster vaccine – at least six months on from your last dose.
“Getting the vaccine remains the best way to protect yourself and those around you from coronavirus, so please do come forward for your booster, when you are invited.”
Our hospitals and GP-led local vaccination services will be vaccinating frontline health and care workers as well as identifying other eligible patients for their booster vaccine. More vaccination centres and community pharmacy-led sites will come online in the following weeks, giving people further protection from the virus ahead of winter.
Those that will be eligible include:-
- Those living in residential care homes for older adults
- All adults aged 50 years or over
- Frontline health and social care workers
- All those aged 16 to 49 years with underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19
- Adult carers and those experiencing homelessness
- Adult household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals.
The Pfizer vaccination will be the primary vaccine used as the booster, irrespective of whether the individual was previously vaccinated with Pfizer or AstraZeneca.
In addition to the COVID-19 booster programme, local areas have already been identifying and vaccinating people aged 12 and over who are immunosuppressed with a third jab following updated guidance from the JCVI in early September.
Also, last week the Government accepted the advice of the four Chief Medical Officers to offer a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine to all healthy 12-15-year-olds. The NHS in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin is now working with the local School Aged Immunisation Service to deliver this vaccination programme in the coming weeks.
Vaccinations for children aged 12-15 will be delivered mainly in schools and the local NHS is working with schools to identify suitable dates to visit.
Parents, guardians, or carers of children aged 12-15 will begin to receive letters via their children’s school from this week onwards, with details of when the vaccination will be offered. They will be asked to provide consent for their child to receive the vaccination. Parents or guardians do not need to contact their local GP or other NHS services, nor make an appointment through the National Booking Service.
