| Government announces fourth dose this spring |
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| This week as part of its Living with Covid plan, the government has set out that specific groups will be offered an additional COVID-19 vaccine this spring. People aged 75 and over are to be offered the further vaccination as well as those aged 12 and above who are immunosuppressed. Across the UK, a second booster will be offered to: adults aged 75 and over residents in a care home for older adults people aged 12 and over with weakened immune systems The dose is to be given six months after the previous booster, but hasn’t gone live yet. The Pfizer vaccine will be offered to 12 to 18-year-olds, and either Pfizer or Moderna to other eligible people. Previously, only people with severely weakened immune systems have been offered four jabs – defined as their three primary doses and a booster. The UK’s vaccine advisers, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, said an extra dose would help maintain protection from severe Covid in the most vulnerable individuals. Immunity declines over time and many of the groups affected received their third dose in September or October. People are asked not to contact their GP practice or other NHS services to ask about this at this stage and there will be more information shared shortly, including details of how to arrange a vaccination. |
| NHS urges those who had COVID in December to get boosted without delay |
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| People who had COVID-19 over Christmas are being urged to get boosted now if they haven’t already done so, as the roll out of the NHS vaccination programme continues at pace. In December, more than four million people in England tested positive for COVID and would have been unable to get their vaccine for at least 28 days, in line with Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) guidance. Texts have been sent by the NHS this week urging people to come forward and get protected from the virus, and the NHS in Sussex is calling for people to come forward. New NHS data shows there are 6.3 million people nationally who are overdue their booster by six weeks or more. The latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows shortly after getting a booster, you are 85% less likely to end up in hospital than if you are unvaccinated. |
| Not had your Covid vaccine yet? Not sure about getting it? Walk in this week or speak to someone. |
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| Getting the Covid vaccine is the best way of protecting you and your family and friends from illness. If you haven’t had any of your Covid vaccines yet, it’s not too late. And if you’ve had your first and second dose it’s really important to get your booster as soon as you’re eligible, so you’ve got the best possible protection against Covid-19. You can book online or go to a local walk-in session, wherever suits you best. Unsure about getting the vaccine? If you’re not sure about getting the vaccine or if you have questions, this week you can head to the walk-in session at St Peter’s Church on Friday 25 February between 10.30am and 2.30pm to speak to a clinician. So even If you’re not sure about the vaccine, go along to the session and speak to someone about it. They’ll be no pressure to have the vaccine on the day, but you can find out more. If you are ready to have your vaccine, you can book online or by calling 119 for an appointment at Churchill Square, Brighton Racecourse or some pharmacies in the city. There are walk-in sessions available every day across the city for anyone aged 16 or over. There’s no need to book, just turn up. Please check the Sussex Health & Care Partnership website for the latest list of times and dates. |
| Overseas vaccination service launched in Sussex |
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| A new service has just been launched in Sussex so that people who have their vaccinations abroad can have these validated to appear in the NHS App. The Overseas Vaccine Record Validation Service has gone live in Chichester in West Sussex, and is due to be rolled out in Brighton and Hove shortly. It is also available at locations across the country. This service enables you to book an appointment to show evidence for any coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations you’ve had outside of England, and enables the NHS to securely update your vaccination record. You can use this service if you’re aged 16 years old or over and have an NHS number. You also must have received one of these vaccines outside of England: Oxford/AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria) Pfizer/BioNTech (Comirnaty) Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) Moderna (Spikevax) Institute of India (Covishield) Bharat Biotech (Covaxin) SinoVac (CoronaVac) Beijing Institute of Biological Products (Sinopharm BIBP) People can book at appointment with the service by using the National Booking Service or calling 119. It is expected to be extended to Brighton and Hove soon. More information on the service is available here. |