Please note: Watling Vale Medical Centre are currently NOT be administering any COVID-19 vaccines as part of this programme.

The NHS will be offering further COVID-19 booster vaccinations to patients who are:

• Aged 75 years and over
• Living in a residential care home for older people
• Aged 12 years and over and immunosuppressed*

 Spring Boosters will be offered to these groups six months after their last dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

The programme will start from 21^st March 2022.

If you are eligible, you will be contacted by the NHS. You can then arrange an appointment at a vaccination centre by visiting www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/ or calling 119.

For more information, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-spring-booster-resources/a-guide-to-the-spring-booster-for-those-aged-75-years-and-older-residents-in-care-homes

https://www.blmkccg.nhs.uk/covid-19/drop-in-covid-19-vaccination-sessions-available/

You can now add certain overseas Covid vaccinations to your NHS Covid Pass. You need to book an appointment at one of the selected vaccination centres. The nearest available centre is in Saxon Court, Central Milton Keynes. Visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/tell-nhs-about-coronavirus-vaccinations-abroad/

If you provide us with your vaccination details, we can add your overseas vaccinations to your GP records, but we are unable to update the national system (NIMS), NHS Covid Pass or NHS booking/invitation list.

If there is an issue with your vaccinations given elsewhere in England or Wales (e.g. vaccine not recorded, wrong dose recorded), please call 119 and ask to be referred to the Vaccination Data Resolution Service.  This service has been set up specifically to deal with these issues. We are not able to make any changes to records of vaccinations that were not given at NPMC

The Covid booster programme is only being delivered through some GP Primary Care Networks/ Practices, some Pharmacies and designated vaccination centres.

Following recent publicity that the Government is discussing vaccinating 12 – 15 year olds in the near future, we want to confirm that this is not in the guidelines at present. Mass vaccination sites are offering vaccinations to

People aged 25 or over; anyone who has a health condition that puts them at higher risk of COVID; and anyone providing care for someone.

It will be down to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to advise on whether this age group will be vaccinated as part of the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

Watling Street Network PCN will not be vaccinating any patients under 50,  if you currently fit into any of the below criteria you can book your COVID-19 vaccination via the National Booking Service website https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/.

You can only use this service if any of the following apply:

• you're aged 21 or over
• you'll turn 21 before 1 July 2021
• you're at high risk from COVID-19 (clinically extremely vulnerable)
• you have a condition that puts you at higher risk (clinically vulnerable)
• you have a learning disability
• you're a frontline health or social care worker
• you get a Carer's Allowance, get support following an assessment by your local authority or your GP record shows you're a carer.

Find out more about who can get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Drop-in COVID-19 vaccination sessions Across BLMK

The drop-in sessions have been extended and anyone over 40 can walk into a number of vaccination centres across Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes until 30 May without the need for an appointment – making it even easier to start to get protected against COVID-19, just bring your NHS number.

If somebody had their first AstraZeneca vaccination 8 weeks ago, and hasn't yet booked their second appointment, can also attend but must bring their card with them with the date of the first appointment.

Those people who already have a booked appointment at a vaccination centre, GP-led site or pharmacy should attend their appointment as planned.

For full details of drop-in opening times go to: www.blmkccg.nhs.uk/drop-in

Please note: These centres do not open until 8.30am

Regarding certificates or evidence about your COVID vaccination status.

We are unable to issue this certificate at the practice.

Please see https://www.gov.uk/guidance/demonstrating-your-covid-19-vaccination-status-when-travelling-abroad for further information.

Proof of your vaccination status will be available in the NHS app from 17th May 2021, (which is also valuable for accessing your health record and ordering repeat prescriptions) and in some of the other apps that provide you with Patient online services. 

The NHSapp can be downloaded from https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/nhs-app/id1388411277 for iPhone or https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nhs.online.nhsonline for android.

If you have not used it before, there is a self-registration process within the app to create an "NHS login" as per https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/online-services/nhs-log-in/

If you already have access/ login details for patient online services, for example "Patient Access", you may use this.

Alternatively, you can call the NHS helpline on 119 (from 17 May) and ask for a letter to be posted to you. This must be at least 5 days after you’ve completed your course of the vaccine, and the letter may to take another 5 days to reach you, or more if postal services are affected.  Please take account of this when making your plans. 

Kind regards Watling Vale Medical Centre

Some groups of GP practices in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes have started to deliver the Covid-19 vaccine to patients and as more vaccine becomes available, more GP practices will be able to offer the vaccination.  To help us to help you, please do not contact the practice to book for a Covid-19 vaccination, because as soon as we have our clinics confirmed we will contact patients in priority order.

This does not impact on the delivery of the annual flu vaccination programme and you should attend when invited for your flu vaccine.

Who will be vaccinated first?

Those aged 80 or over will be vaccinated first

The first batch of COVID-19 Vaccination is being delivered very soon, and will initially be given to those patients who are aged 80 and older.

The government have stipulated that the vaccine will be given on a priority basis after a risk assessment.  It has been published that Health care workers and the over 80’s will be the first to be vaccinated.

At this time, the practice giving the vaccination for Watling Vale Medical Centre's patients will be Whitehouse Health Centre Milton Keynes (Please wait to be contacted).

If you do not fall into this age category, please do not contact the surgery at this time. The practice will contact you when the next age groups can be vaccinated, via text message, letter, and direct contact or via the Surgery Website.

Why you have to wait for your COVID-19 vaccine

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-why-you-are-being-asked-to-wait/why-you-have-to-wait-for-your-covid-19-vaccine?priority-taxon=774cee22-d896-44c1-a611-e3109cce8eae

Please be confident that as soon as we can invite you to a clinic we will do, However, please keep in mind that this could take weeks or evens months before we can invite the younger, generally healthy patients.

Many of the vaccines will be delivered at one of two large centres in MK.  However, more news about dates and locations will follow in due course.

At the present time, COVID 19 vaccines can only be delivered to designated GP practices with suitable facilities. The practice for Watling Vale Medical Centres patients is Whitehouse Health Centre, Dorset Way, Whitehouse, Milton Keynes, MK8 1EQ (Please do not contact Whitehouse Health Centre, wait to be contacted by Watling Vale Medical Centre).

The vaccination requires two doses; both must be given for the vaccine to be effective. Each dose is given by injection into the upper arm.  You may experience mild side effects including arm tenderness, fever, headache, muscle ache and fatigue.

You will not be able to have the vaccination if you have symptoms of Covid19,  if you are pregnant, are breastfeeding or are under 18 years old.

Wait to be contacted by your surgery.

You must attend both appointments in order to receive the two doses required. A family member can do this on your behalf.

If you are not in this age group, do not contact the surgery at this time but check the website for updates.

Further information regarding the COVID-19 vaccination can be found on the government website https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

These links below give more information regarding the Pfizer BioNtech vaccination which will be the first to be rolled out.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulatory-approval-of-pfizer-biontech-vaccine-for-covid-19

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/940566/Information_for_UK_recipients_on_Pfizer_BioNTech_COVID-19_vaccine.pdf

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

What to expect after your COVID-19 vaccination

Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine