Covid-19 Vaccination

Highlights:

• The coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine is safe and effective. It will give you the best protection against coronavirus
• The vaccine is part of our defence – we need to continue with hands, face, space
• The NHS will let you know when it is your turn to have the vaccine. It is important not to contact the NHS for a vaccination before then.

Prioritisation:

An independent group of experts has recommended that the NHS first offers vaccines to those at highest risk of catching the disease and of suffering serious complications or dying from COVID-19.  This includes older adults in care homes and frontline health and social care workers.  When more vaccine becomes available, the vaccines will be offered to other people at risk as soon as possible.

The phased vaccination programme will see patients aged 80 and above who are already attending hospital as an outpatient, and those who are being discharged home after a hospital stay, among the first to receive the life-saving jab.

Delivery:

There are 50 hospital hubs in the first wave and more hospitals will start vaccinating over the coming weeks and months as the programme ramps up.  GPs and other primary care staff are also being put on standby to start delivering the jab.

A small number of GP-led primary care networks will begin doing so during the following week (week beginning 14 December) with more practices in more parts of the country joining in on a phased basis during December and in the coming months.

Vaccination centres treating large numbers of patients in sporting venues and conference centres will subsequently be set up when further supplies of vaccine become available.

The Vaccine:

The life-saving vaccine is typically delivered by a simple injection in the shoulder but there is a complex logistical challenge to deliver from the manufacturers to patients. It needs to be stored at -70C before being thawed out and can only be moved four times within that cold chain ahead of use.  The COVID-19 vaccine does not contain any animal products or egg.