Covid-19 Vaccinations
Questions and answers:
I've received a letter about booking my
vaccination appointment - what should I do?
Letters are being sent inviting patients to
book a vaccine appointment via the NHS website
or by ringing 119. This being done by age
cohort, in line with the JCVI guidance. This is
an invitation to book an appointment at a mass
vaccination centre - our local one is Ashton
Gate stadium. You can do this by following the
instructions in the letter. You do not need to
do this if:
- You would prefer to get your vaccine at
the practice. We can assure you that we have
your details so you don't need to contact us
- we will contact you when it's your turn.
- You already have an appointment booked
with your practice to get your vaccine.
- You have already had your first
dose with the practice - we'll contact you
when it's time to come in for your second.
If you are unable to book an appointment
using the details in the letter, don't worry. We
have your details and we will contact you to
invite you for an appointment very soon.
When will I get the vaccine?
Staff are working tirelessly to ensure the
necessary measures are in place for those most
at risk to get their vaccine first. To do this,
we are following a nationally set prioritisation
order, from which we are unable to deviate.
The priority list from the Joint
Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is
as follows:
- residents in a care home for older
adults and their carers*
- all those 80 years of age and over and
frontline health and social care workers**
- all those 75 years of age and over
- all those 70 years of age and over and
clinically extremely vulnerable individuals
- all those 65 years of age and over
- all individuals aged 16 years to 64
years with underlying health conditions
which put them at higher risk of serious
disease and mortality
- all those 60 years of age and over
- all those 55 years of age and over
- all those 50 years of age and over
*Please note that 'carers' in this context
refers to care home staff. If you are a personal
or family carer you will be vaccinated within
your age-related or clinically vulnerable group
if that applies to you.
**Please note that frontline health and social
care workers should contact their employer about
getting their vaccination, not their registered
GP surgery.
It is estimated that taken together, these
groups represent around 99% of preventable
mortality from COVID-19.
We are currently vaccinating patients in cohorts
1 and 2.
I'm in an eligible cohort. Should I call the
practice if I haven't heard anything?
While a vaccination programme of this scale
will take some time, we can assure you that
everyone who needs the vaccine will be offered
it. We ask that you don’t contact your practice
directly – we will contact you when it is your
turn to be vaccinated.
Why haven't I had my vaccine when others the
same age already have?
All the GP surgeries in our area are now
offering the vaccine to their eligible patients.
Staff have been working tirelessly to get this
up and running over the last month but the scale
of the vaccination programme means that this
could not happen in every GP surgery at once.
This is the same across the country. If you are
in an eligible cohort and you haven't yet heard
from us, you do not need to contact us directly.
We can assure you we have your details and we
will contact you when it's your turn.
When will I get my second dose?
The NHS is following new guidance from the
Government’s expert advisors which says that
prioritising a first dose for as many people as
possible will save more lives. This is because
even with just one dose the vaccine has been
estimated to offer at least 74% effectiveness
from two weeks after it is given.
Therefore, as a key part of the national effort
to protect as many people in at-risk groups as
quickly as possible, second doses will now be
delivered in the 12th week following your first
dose. We will be in touch to schedule your
second dose appointment soon.
We apologise if we have had to reschedule your
appointment.
When will the next cohorts be vaccinated?
We are making great progress in vaccinating
our patients in the first two cohorts. This
includes patients who can visit the practice, as
well as some who we need to vaccinate in their
home or care home. When it is time to move onto
the next cohort, we will be told by the
government and they will arrange for us to get a
vaccine delivery. Once this happens, we will
contact you. The government ambition is to offer
vaccines to everyone in the first 5 groups (13
million people) by the middle of February.
I have a question about the COVID vaccine -
what should I do?
There is lots of information available online
- try our GP surgery website/Facebook
[insert/delete as appropriate]. You can also try
nhs.uk/covid-vaccination. We will get in touch
with you when it is your turn to be vaccinated -
you do not need to contact us to ask when this
will be.
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