COVID-19 VACCINATION QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Reporter Amy Orton put the questions you have asked about the coronavirus vaccination programme to the people who can supply the answers. This is what they said
THOUSANDS of Covid jabs have been given since grandfather David Brindley was the first in the area to receive his vaccine just over a month ago.
With the government pledging to have all those in the most vulnerable groups injected - or invited to be - by mid-February, health teams are working around the clock to expand the vaccination programme.
More than 80 GP surgeries are already inviting eligible patients to have the vaccine, with the expectation all surgeries in the area will be able to offer the jab to priority group patients by the end of this week.
HOW MANY PATIENTS HAVE BEEN VACCINATED SO FAR?
Local data is not available at present. Nationally, more than 2.5 million people had received their vaccine by Tuesday, the latest figure available.
One GP network in the county tweeted it aims to have vaccinated more than 2,500 people this week.
HOW MANY JABS DO YOU HOPE TO BE DELIVERING PER WEEK AND BY WHEN?
The vaccine programme is accelerating. The number we are able to deliver is dependent on national vaccine delivery schedules.
Locally, we are ready to deliver as many vaccines as we receive. Now the Oxford-Astra Zeneca vaccine has been approved, the quantity of vaccines is expected to increase significantly.
Last week, the Mercury reported some vaccination centres are only finding out about doses being delivered the day before.
But a city GP said surgeries are prepped to be able to invite patients at short notice.
WHERE ARE THE JABS BEING GIVEN AND WHERE ELSE WILL THEY BE OFFERED?
Vaccinations are being offered from 15 locations – two hospital hubs vaccinating a mixture of patients and staff and 13 sites offering vaccinations to patients registered with 88 GP practices.
It is hoped in the next week all GP practices will be covered by a vaccination service.
As the vaccine supply increases, we are looking at additional venues and the flexibility of the OxfordAstraZeneca vaccine means we can offer vaccinations in more venues, including pharmacies.
Some patients may also have been contacted via a national letter to book to have their vaccine at a large-scale vaccination centre if there is one within 45 minutes of where they live. This is an alternative to accepting an appointment via your GP practice.
HAVE CARE HOME RESIDENTS AND STAFF RECEIVED VACCINES YET?
Vaccinations have commenced in care homes, starting with larger homes with more than 50 residents and staff.
This was because of the transportation requirements of the Pfizer vaccine.
Some care home residents have been vaccinated by GP practices, where residents were able to be transported into the practice.
The arrival of the Oxford-Astra Zeneca vaccine, which does not have the same restrictions, means it will now be even easier to vaccinate in care homes.
WHEN WILL I KNOW WHEN MY APPOINTMENT IS?
Patients registered with GP practices will be invited to attend an appointment to be vaccinated by telephone, letter or text.
Please do not contact the NHS asking when your appointment will be. The NHS will contact you.
The NHS is vaccinating people in priority order, starting with those aged 80 and over, health and care workers, and care home residents and staff.
If the NHS contacts you by text message, it will never ask you to give any personal or bank details. Please be aware of scams.
WHO WILL GET THEIR SECOND DOSE AND WHEN? HAVE SOME PEOPLE HAD SECOND DOSE APPOINTMENTS CHANGED?
Two doses of the vaccine are required for both the Pfizer-BioNTech and the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines. The doses will be up to 12 weeks apart.
When vaccinations started in December, the two doses were scheduled to be three weeks apart but the advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation changed to 12 weeks.
This is because the evidence
It is hoped in the next week all GP practices will be covered by a vaccination service
shows that one dose of either vaccine provides a high level of protection from Covid-19 and we can vaccinate more people at the highest risk by moving to 12 weeks apart.
Unfortunately, this does mean some people had their second dose rescheduled.
The second dose is essential to offer protection from Covid. It is essential everyone does attend for their second dose.
WHO WILL GET WHICH VACCINE AND DOES IT MATTER?
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is being rolled out as fast as possible by the NHS across the UK.
Now authorised, the AstraZenecaOxford vaccine will be deployed alongside the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to increase the pace.
There are no current plans to mix these vaccines, so if your first dose is the Pfizer vaccine you should not be given the AstraZeneca vaccine for your second dose and vice versa.
Both Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxfordare very effective. Both vaccines pass the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s tests on safety and efficacy, so people should be assured that whatever vaccine they get will be
highly effective and protect them.
‘MY NEIGHBOUR HAS HAD THE VACCINE, WHY HAVEN’T I?’
The priority groups have been determined by the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations.
The first four groups are:
■ Residents in a care home for older adults and their carers;
■ All 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers;
■ All 75 years of age and over;
■ All 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals.
We are currently prioritising those in groups 1 and 2 but will quickly move to the other groups.” Mid-February is when the government guarantees to have the top four groups injected or invited to be by.
SOME VACCINATION CENTRES HAVE LOOKED EMPTY. WHY?
The vaccine is delivered according to national delivery schedules. Vaccinations are paused in between deliveries.
The supply is increasing which means vaccination sites will be offering appointments on more days.
SOME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INVITED TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT IN BIRMINGHAM. WHY?
Invitations have been issued nationally inviting patients to book an appointment at one of seven large vaccination centres across the country. The invitations are being issued to people aged 80 or over who are not listed as having been vaccinated at a hospital or GP service.
If they have received a jab since the letter was sent or would prefer to wait to be invited to attend a more local GP or hospital service, they can ignore it.
A large vaccination centre will be opening in Leicester in the next few weeks.
VACCINATORS – HOW MANY WILL THERE BE? WHO ARE THEY?
Vaccinations are being carried out by a range of healthcare professionals including GPs, pharmacists, nurses and healthcare assistants. Some vaccinators have offered their support and have returned from retirement.”
CAN I HELP?
Yes, certainly. See the panel below for details.
Please do not contact the NHS asking when your appointment will be. The NHS will contact you