News

Over 70s and shielded patients encouraged to book now

Anyone aged 70 and over or on the Shielded Patients List (because they are clinically extremely vulnerable) who has not yet had a first dose vaccine can use the National Booking System to book an appointment. You do not need a letter from the NHS.

Members of the public not in these groups still need to wait for a letter.

You can book for yourself or on behalf of a relative. The person being vaccinated will need to be registered with a GP. You’ll need the name, date of birth and home postcode of the person being vaccinated. The person’s NHS number is helpful but not essential.

You can use the national booking service to arrange an appointment at one of three large vaccination centres or seven community pharmacy-led services in the county.

The nearest vaccination centre is in Folkestone

Pharmacy services are running in:

• New Romney Pharmacy, vaccinations at New Romney Old School
• Pharmacy2U, Maidstone, vaccinations at Odeon Cinema, Lockmeadow.

There is no restriction on where you live, you can book at any of these sites if slots are available.

To book visit www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination

If you can’t book online, you can call 119 free of charge, anytime between 7am and 11pm seven days-a-week. British Sign Language, text relay and interpreter services are available.

GP-run vaccine services and housebound visits

The national booking service cannot make appointments for GP services or home visits.

GPs and their teams continue to invite people to local vaccination services and are prioritising going out to housebound patients who haven’t already been vaccinated.

If people over 70 or clinically extremely vulnerable, who have not yet had a first dose Covid-19 vaccine, want to use GP services they should now contact their GP practice. 

Members of the public not in these groups still need to wait to be contacted. Please do not call your GP practice at this stage.

NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group
mailchi.mp/ca30565e5ed8/community-bulletin

Who is being vaccinated?

NHS England and NHS Kent and Medway CCG are currently vaccinating people in the first four priority groups, i.e.:

• 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 

Kent and Medway CCG expect all people in these groups to have been invited to be vaccinated by 15th February 2020.

The full Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) list of priory groups is is on gov.uk

How do I make an appointment for my vaccination?

Do not contact NHS or your GP to ask for a vaccination, they should contact you. If you are over 70 years of age and have not been invited by 15th February contact your GP then (please remember that your GP surgery is very busy use the contact methods given on their website).

Where are vaccinations being given?

In Ashford urban area vaccinations are currently being given at:

• St, Stephens Medical Centre
  for patients of the Ashford Medical Partnership: Willesborough Health Centre, Singleton Health Centre and St Stephens Health Centre
• Musgrove Park Medical Centre, Ashford
  foe patients of Ashford Stour PCN: Hollington Surgery, Kingsnorth Medical Practice, New Hayesbank Surgery, Sellindge Surgery, Sydenham House Medical Centre and Wye Surgery
  and
• The Wiliam Harvey Hospital

Other centres are listed on the KMCCG website

Only visit a vaccination centre if you have an appointment.
there is no walk-in service at any centre.

If you are undergoing treatment at another hospital you may be invited to be vaccinated at that hospital. If this involves a substantial journey you can ask to be vaccinated at a local centre.

How will I get the vaccine if I am housebound?

If you are known to be housebound through illness or disability you will be contacted to arrange your vaccination at home, either through your GP or Kent Community Health Foundation NHS Trust (KCHFT).

At the vaccination centre

• Ensure you are wearing a clean face mask.
• Do not arrive before the time given on your appointment.
• Please attend alone unless you are unable to.
• Follow instructions given on your invitation or at the centre regarding announcing your arrival.
• You may have to wait – please maintain social distancing from other patients.
• Before being vaccinated you should be asked some questions about your medical history or to allow the vaccinator to access your medical records.
• After vaccination you will be given a card with information about your vaccination. It is important to keep this card.
• You should be given an appointment for your second vaccination within 12 weeks of your first.
• You should wait at the vaccination centre, as instructed, for 15 minutes after your vaccination.

After vaccination

You must continue to follow current regulations and advice related to Covid-19, i.e.:

• Hands: wash your hands regularly
• Face: wear a face covering inside shops and other buildings to which the public have access
• Space: maintain 2m distance from people not in your household
• During lockdown:
  • Stay at Home other than for permitted reasons
  • Do not meet with people from outside of your household

Most side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine are mild and should not last longer than a week, such as:

• a sore arm where the needle went in
• feeling tired
• a headache
• feeling achy
• feeling or being sick

You can take painkillers, such as paracetamol, if you need to.

If your symptoms get worse or you are worried,

• call 111.
• inform your GP
• inform the centre where you were vaccinated, or
• submit a report to the MHRA

If you have a high temperature you may have coronavirus or another infection.

Front line workers

All front line health and social care workers should be invited for a vaccination by their employer.

Agency workers on a long term deployment should be vaccinated through the organisation they are working for.

Agency workers on short term deployments should be have their vaccination arranged by their agency.

If you are working directly on the front line in health or social care and have not be invited for vaccination, contact the organisation through which you are working first or KMCCG.

KMCCG are consulting with the government regarding including other key workers in a priority group.

More information

There is more information about Covid-19 vaccination on the KMCCG website: www.kentandmedwayccg.nhs.uk/your-health/coronavirus/covid19vaccine

including these answers to Frequently Asked Questions:
www.kentandmedwayccg.nhs.uk/your-health/coronavirus/covid19vaccine/covid-19-vaccination-programme-frequently-asked-questions

and on the NHS website: www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/coronavirus-vaccine/

Scam Alert

The Covid-19 Vaccine will always be available free of charge

The NHS will not ask for bank or financial details to confirm your identity

You must stay at home. The single most important action we can all take is to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives.

You should follow this guidance immediately. The law will be updated to reflect these new rules.

Stay at home	Meeting Others	Exercise
You must not leave, or be outside of your home or garden, except for a very limited set of exemptions e.g. to shop for basic necessities, exercise, go to work if you cannot do so from home, or to escape risk of harm.	You cannot leave your home to meet socially with anyone, except with your household or support bubble (if eligible to form one). Stay 2 metres apart from anyone not in your household or support bubble.	You may exercise on your own, with your household or support bubble, or with one person from another household (when on your own). Stay 2 metres apart from anyone not in your household or support bubble.
Retail	Personal Care	Leisure and Sporting Facilities
Essential shops can open. Non-essential retail must close and can only run click-andcollect and delivery	Closed	Closed, with limited exceptions.
Bars, Pubs and Restaurants	Work and Business	Education
Hospitality closed aside from sales by takeaway (until 11pm), click-and-collect, drive-through or delivery. Alcohol cannot be purchased through takeaway or click-and-collect from hospitality venues.	Everyone must work from home unless they are unable to do so.	Early years settings open. Primary and secondary schools and colleges move to remote provision except for vulnerable children and children of critical workers. Most university students to move to remote learning.
Travelling	Accommodation	Overnight Stays
You must stay at home. If you do leave home for a very limited set of exemptions, you should stay local in the village, town, or part of the city where you live where possible. Do not travel abroad unless an exemption applies.	Closed (with limited exceptions)	You must not stay overnight away from home. Limited exceptions apply e.g. to stay with your support bubble.
Entertainment	Places of Worship	Weddings and Funerals
Closed	Places of worship can remain open and communal worship is permitted, but you must not mix with those outside your household or support bubble	Funerals of up to 30 people permitted. Weddings up to 6 people permitted in exceptional circumstances. Wakes and other linked ceremonial events of up to 6 permitted.
Medical	Clinically Extremely Vulnerable	Care Home Visits
You can leave home for a medical reason, including to get a COVID-19 test, for medical appointments and emergencies.	Shielding reintroduced across England. You should not travel to work, school, college or university and should limit the time you spend outside the home. You should only go out for medical appointments, exercise or if it is essential.	Visits can take place with arrangements such as substantial screens, visiting pods, or behind windows. Close-contact indoor visits are not allowed. No visits will be permitted in the event of an outbreak but end of life visits are permitted in all circumstances.
Harm and compassionate visits	Animal welfare
You can leave home to be with someone who is giving birth, to avoid injury or illness or to escape risk of harm (such as domestic abuse).	you can leave home for animal welfare reasons, such as to attend veterinary services for advice or treatment.