NHS Northumberland Clinical Commissioning Group

Clinicians commissioning healthcare for the people of Northumberland

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COVID-19 Vaccine Information

What You Need to Know

The coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine is safe and effective. It gives you the best protection against coronavirus. In England, the COVID-19 vaccine is being offered in some hospitals and pharmacies, at local centres run by GPs and at larger vaccination centres. More information about the vaccine can be found at NHS.uk and GOV.uk.

To get your vaccine you can:

If you cannot book appointments online, you can call 119 free of charge. You can speak to a translator if you need to. If you have difficulties communicating or hearing, or are a British Sign Language (BSL) user, you can use textphone 18001 119 or the NHS 119 BSL interpreter service.

Booster vaccines

A coronavirus (COVID-19) booster vaccine dose helps improve the protection you have from your previous doses of the vaccine. It helps give you longer-term protection against getting seriously ill from COVID-19.

Spring boosters

People aged 75 and over, care home residents and people with weakened immune systems are now being offered their spring booster. This follows the recommendation from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) that an extra dose should be offered to these groups to make sure those at greatest risk continue to have high levels of protection against COVID-19.

If you are eligible for an extra booster, the NHS will contact you when it is your turn with details of how to make an appointment. People are being prioritised according to when their had their previous booster and by clinical need so please wait to hear and do not contact your GP practice or other NHS services. Everyone who is eligible will be contacted between 21 March and early summer, depending on when they had their last booster.

Once invited, people will be able to book an appointment at a convenient vaccination centre. Some people may also be contacted by their GP practice and offered an appointment but not all GP services are offering this service so please only contact your GP about a spring booster if you receive an invitation. 

If you haven’t had your previous booster, you can visit http://www.nhs.uk/covid-booster, call 119 to book an appointment or check if there is a walk-in vaccination site near you.

Frequently Asked Questions

A guide to the spring booster for those aged 75 years and older residents in care homes

Who can get a COVID-19 booster vaccine

You can get a booster dose if you had a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at least three months ago and:

  • you are aged 18 or over
  • you are aged 16 or over with a health condition that puts you at high risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19
  • you are a frontline health or social care worker
  • you live or work in a care home
  • you are aged 16 or over and are a main carer for someone at high risk from COVID-19
  • you are aged 16 or over and live with someone who has a weakened immune system (such as someone who has HIV, has had a transplant or is having certain treatments for cancer, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis)

People who are pregnant and in 1 of the eligible groups can also get a booster dose

Book your booster vaccination appointment online

You can book your COVID-19 booster dose online if it’s been five months (152 days) since you had your second dose. You’ll be offered appointment dates from six months after the date of your second dose.

Children aged 12 to 15

The coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines are safe and effective. one dose is being offered to children aged 12 to 15 to give them the best protection against COVID-19. This includes children who turn 12 on the date of vaccination.

Most children can:

Not all walk-in vaccination sites can vaccinate children aged 12 to 15. More sites will become available over time.

Children at high risk from COVID-19

Some children aged 12 to 15 are being offered two doses of the vaccine if either:

  • They live with someone who is more likely to get infections (such as someone who has HIV, has had a transplant or is having certain treatments for cancer, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis)
  • They have a condition that means they’re at high risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19

Conditions that mean they may be at high risk and eligible for two doses are:

  • A severe problem with the brain or nerves, such as cerebral palsy
  • Down’s syndrome
  • Severe or multiple learning disabilities (or they’re on the learning disability register)
  • A condition that means they’re more likely to get infections (such as some genetic conditions or types of cancer)

Those who are eligible for two doses of the vaccine will be contacted by a local NHS service such as a GP surgery to arrange their appointments.

Find out more about COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 12 to 15.

Young people aged 16 and 17

The NHS is offering a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to people aged 16 and 17. If you will turn 18 within three months, you can also get a second dose. You can book your appointment at a larger vaccination centre or pharmacy now, or wait to be invited to go to a local NHS service.

Who can get a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine?

A third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine is being offered to people aged 12 and over who had a weakened immune system when they had their first two doses.

This includes people who had or have:

  • A blood cancer (such as leukaemia or lymphoma)
  • A weakened immune system due to a treatment (such as steroid medicine, biological therapy, chemotherapy or radiotherapy)
  • An organ or bone marrow transplant
  • A condition that means you have a very high risk of getting infections
  • A condition or treatment your specialist advises makes you eligible for a third dose

You’ll usually be offered a third dose at least eight weeks after you had your second dose. Your doctor may suggest a different time depending on if you have any ongoing or planned treatment that affects your immune system. If you think you’re eligible for a third dose but have not been contacted, speak to your doctor.

Find out more about a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccination.

FAQs

Can I still get my COVID-19 vaccine?
How do I book my second dose?

You’ll need to book a second dose for eight weeks after your first dose.

Am I eligible for a COVID-19 booster jab?
When can I get my COVID-19 booster jab?
How do I get my COVID-19 booster jab?
What vaccine will I get for my COVID-19 booster jab?
Where can I get more information about the COVID-19 vaccine?
Can I get my COVID-19 booster at the same time as my flu jab?
How do I get my COVID-19 booster jab?
Can I get my COVID-19 booster at the same time as my flu jab?
What vaccine will I get for my COVID-19 booster jab?
I’m pregnant or breastfeeding, is the COVID-19 vaccine safe for me?

You can be vaccinated against coronavirus (COVID-19) if you’re aged 16 or over and:

  • you’re pregnant or think you might be
  • you’re breastfeeding
  • you’re trying for a baby or might get pregnant in the future

If you’re pregnant

If you’re pregnant and have not had a COVID-19 vaccine yet, it’s preferable for you to have the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine.

This is because these vaccines have been more widely used during pregnancy in other countries and no safety concerns have been identified.

If you’ve already had the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine for your 1st dose and did not have any serious side effects, you should have it again for your 2nd dose.

The vaccines cannot give you or your baby COVID-19.

Booking your vaccination appointments

If you’re aged 18 or over (or will turn 18 within 3 months), you can book your COVID-19 vaccination appointments online.

If you’re under 40, you’ll only be shown appointments for the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines.

If you’re 40 or over, you’ll be asked if you’re pregnant to make sure you’re only shown appointments for these vaccines. Book your COVID-19 vaccination appointments

If you’re aged 16 or 17, the NHS will contact you when it’s your turn to get the vaccine. You cannot book your appointment online.

You’ll be able to discuss the benefits and potential risks of having a COVID-19 vaccine in pregnancy at your vaccination appointment.

You can also speak to a GP or your maternity team for advice.

You may find the COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy decision aid from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (PDF, 643kb) helpful.

If you’re breastfeeding

You cannot catch COVID-19 from the vaccines and cannot pass it to your baby through your breast milk.

If you’re breastfeeding, the vaccines you can have depends on your age:

  • if you’re 40 or over, you can have any of the COVID-19 vaccines
  • if you’re under 40 and do not have a health condition that increases your risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19, it’s preferable for you to have the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine

The Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines are preferable in people under 40 because of an extremely rare blood clotting problem linked to the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.

Find out more about COVID-19 vaccine side effects

Fertility and COVID-19 vaccination

There’s no evidence the COVID-19 vaccines have any effect on your chances of becoming pregnant.

There’s no need to avoid getting pregnant after being vaccinated.

More information

Find out more on the NHS website.

What is the COVID-19 vaccination passport?

The NHS COVID Pass lets you share your coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination records or test COVID-19 status in a secure way.

You can access your NHS COVID Pass through the free NHS App on a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet. Proof of your COVID-19 status will be shown within the NHS App.

You need to be registered with a GP in England to use the NHS App. If you’re not registered with a GP, you can still access the NHS COVID Pass via the NHS website (NHS.UK) or via 119 (select the ‘NHS COVID Pass service’) to request a letter. The NHS App is not the same as the NHS COVID-19 app.

You can also view your COVID-19 status online and download or print it as a PDF document. To access the service, you’ll need to register for an NHS login if you do not have one already. NHS login registrations may take longer than usual when there are high numbers of requests.

Access the NHS COVID Pass via the NHS website.

Why am I being told not to contact my GP about my COVID-19 vaccine?
I am worried about the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine. Is it safe?

Some European countries have temporarily paused the use of the vaccine as a precautionary measure, following reports of blood clots in a small number of people who had recently had the vaccine.

However, there is no evidence that the blood clots have been caused by the vaccine and the UK regulator, the Medicines Health Regulatory Authority, has said that they are confident the vaccine is safe. This is supported by both the European Medicines Agency (the European regulator for medicines and vaccines) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), who have said the vaccine should is safe and should continue be given.

There were 30 reports of clots among almost five million people given the vaccine across Europe but this is actually less than the number that would be expected to happen naturally. Following the concerns regarding blood clots, AstraZeneca has conducted a review of all safety data, which has shown no evidence of an increased risk of blood clots. This covered more than 17 million people vaccinated in the UK and European Union.

The UK is further ahead its vaccination programme than any other country in the world and so far over 20 million people in England have been vaccinated. It is very important that people still have their COVID-19 vaccine when asked to do so. This is the only protection available against the serious illness caused by COVID-19, which has sadly led to the death of millions of people around the world, and people will continue to be at risk from the disease if they do not take up the offer of a vaccine.

Elizabeth Morgan, Northumberland’s Director of Public Health and lead Director of Public Health for the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme in the North East said:

“There have been 37 reports of potentially serious blood clots out of the 17 million doses given to people across the EU – that’s actually a lower number of incidents than you’d expect to see in the population.  The UK regulator (the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency), the European Medicines Evaluation Agency (the European regulator for medicines and vaccines) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have all said there is no evidence that the vaccine causes blood clots and that they are confident the vaccine is safe. With that in mind, it’s difficult to understand why some EU countries have suspended its use.  What people probably don’t know is that there is evidence that if you get COVID-19, you’re at higher risk of developing blood clots during infection, and those that do have an increased risk of dying so personally, I’ll be choosing to have the vaccine when its offered.

“I want to reassure people that the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective and that all adverse effects are closely monitored through the same tried and tested process we use for other medicines.  While I understand people might be worried, this vaccine is the best way of protecting yourself and your family from this awful virus, and to help us all look forward to a brighter future. If you are offered vaccination in the coming days I’d strongly urge you to take it – it is safe and effective.”

Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.pdf

Avoiding fraud

To protect yourself and your family members from fraud and criminals, remember the following points:

  • The vaccine is only available on the NHS for free to people in priority groups, and the NHS will contact you when it is your turn. Anyone offering a paid-for vaccine is committing a crime.
  • The NHS will never ask you to press a button on your keypad or send a text to confirm you want the vaccine, and never ask for payment or for your bank details.
  • At the moment we are also not making house calls to deliver or discuss the vaccine. Anyone offering this now is committing a crime.

If you receive a call you believe to be fraudulent, hang up. If you believe you have been the victim of fraud or identity theft you should report this directly to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040. Where the victim is vulnerable, and particularly if you are worried that someone has or might come to your house, report it to the Police online or by calling 101.

Leaflets and Posters

Guidance for schools and parents

Guidance for children and young people

COVID-19 vaccination and blood clotting

COVID-19 vaccination: A guide to phase 2 of the programme

This leaflet explains phase 2 of the COVID-19 vaccination programme, who is eligible and who needs to have the vaccine to protect them from Coronavirus.

COVID-19 vaccination: guide for older adults

This leaflet explains about the COVID-19 vaccination, who is eligible and who needs to have the vaccine to protect them from Coronavirus.

COVID-19 vaccination: what to expect after vaccination

This leaflet is intended for healthcare practitioners to give to individuals who are being immunised.

COVID-19 vaccination: why you are being asked to wait

This leaflet is to help healthcare professionals answer questions on the eligibility and availability of the COVID-19 vaccine.

COVID-19 vaccination: women of childbearing age, currently pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding

All frontline health and social care workers are being offered the COVID-19 vaccine which will help protect you against the COVID-19 disease.

This leaflet is for healthcare workers and includes information on the COVID-19 vaccine.

COVID-19 vaccination: guide for healthcare workers

All frontline health and social care workers are being offered the COVID-19 vaccine which will help protect you against the COVID-19 disease.

This leaflet is for healthcare workers and includes information on the COVID-19 vaccine.

Consent Forms

The coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination consent form letter templates are available in different software versions and can be downloaded and adapted to suit the needs of local healthcare teams.

COVID-19 vaccination: consent forms and letters for children and young people

COVID-19 vaccination: consent forms and letters for care home residents

COVID-19 vaccination: relative’s view form for a care home resident

COVID-19 vaccination: consent form and letter for social care staff

COVID-19 vaccination: consent form and letter for healthcare workers

COVID-19 vaccination: consent form and letter for adults