People aged 70 and over who have not yet been vaccinated against
Covid and who would like to be are today being asked to contact
the NHS to arrange a jab.
Until now the NHS has asked people to wait until they are
contacted to help ensure that those who are most vulnerable are
protected first - and that remains the case for most people.
However, to ensure absolutely everyone is offered the vaccine,
people aged 70 and over cannow contact the NHS so they can be
vaccinated by the middle of this month.
The easiest way to arrange a vaccination is through the national
booking service which can be accessed at
www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination.
The system allows patients to choose a time slot and location
that suits them.
Anyone unable to book online can call 119 free of charge, anytime
between 7am and 11pm seven days a week.
If a suitable and convenient slot is not available people can
also call their GP practice.
Many who have not yet booked an appointment are already receiving
follow up letters and phone calls this week to encourage them to
take up the offer of a jab.
GP teams have been asked to contact their clinically extremely
vulnerable patients, who have been asked to shield, to ensure
they have been offered the vaccine.
Anyone who received a letter in 2021 asking them to shield,
should also receive an invitation from their local family doctor
as well as an invitation from the national booking service
inviting them for a jab.
People in priority groups who are given a vaccination appointment
by both their local GP team and the National Booking Service
should cancel the one they do not want so the slot can be used by
someone else.
Health and social care workers, who are also among the top four
priority groups for vaccination, should speak to their employer
about arranging their jab.
NHS England is supporting general practice with an extra £10 for
every vaccination given to someone who is housebound.
In under ten weeks, the health service has in England delivered
11 million vaccinations.
Dr Nikki Kanani, medical director for primary care at NHS England
and practising GP, said: “The NHS vaccination programme, the
biggest in health service history, is off to a strong start with
every eligible care home receiving a visit and millions more
people being vaccinated at one of over 1,500 centres across the
country thanks to the tireless efforts of my colleagues.
“But if you are aged 70 and over, and haven’t yet received your
vaccine, please come forward and make an appointment as soon as
you can.
“The vaccine is safe, simple, and will offer you and those around
you crucial protection against this virus.”
The call is part of a drive to ensure that everyone in an
eligible group has the chance to get protected.
The national booking system allows people to arrange a jab at a
Vaccination Centre or pharmacy service.
GP teams are following up with any of their patients they are yet
to vaccinate.
Appointments are staggered to allow for social distancing and
people are urged not to turn up early to avoid queues.
People who do not know their NHS number can still book an
appointment through the national system but will only be given an
appointment if they are in the top four priority groups.
Health and Social Care Secretary said:
“Thanks to the huge efforts of the NHS, volunteers and local
authorities we have vaccinated an incredible 12 million
vulnerable people so far - including around 9 in ten of all
over-70s.
“We are on track to meet our goal of offering everyone in the top
four priority groups a jab. So far we have said please wait until
the NHS contacts you. I now urge everyone aged 70 and over who
hasn’t yet had a vaccination to come forward and contact the NHS
to book in their jab. And if you have grandparents, relatives and
friends over 70, please encourage them to book an appointment as
soon as possible, so they can be protected against this awful
virus.
“Vaccines are the way out of this pandemic and, by ensuring you
and your loved ones get booked in for a jab, the NHS can give
those most at-risk the protection they need as we continue to
fight this disease together.”
Vaccines are currently being administered at over 1,500 sites
across the country, from mosques and museums to rugby grounds and
cathedrals.
Sites have been chosen to ensure that the vast majority of the
population live within 10 miles of at least one vaccination
service.
The NHS made history when Maggie Keenan became the first person
in the world to be protected against coronavirus, outside of a
clinical trial, when she received the Pfizer vaccine at Coventry
Hospital on the 8 December 2020.
The NHS was also the first health system to deliver the new
Oxford AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine when Brian Pinker, 82, was
jabbed on January 4 2021.
Background
-
GPs have contacted their patients aged 70 and over as
well as those who are clinically extremely vulnerable inviting
them for a jab.
-
Further letters are going out this week encouraging
people to come forward.
-
GP teams and the National Booking Service are also
calling those entitled to a vaccine if they have not yet booked
a jab.
-
Those who are “clinically extremely vulnerable” will have
received a letter in 2021 and are encouraged to take up the
offer of a vaccination.
