Vaccination Update - 25th April
Time is running out for anyone who has not yet had their primary course of COVID-19 vaccinations, which could impact on plans to travel to some countries this summer.
For those people who have not yet completed a primary course of vaccinations (two doses, or three for those in specific clinical cohorts) then these can still be arranged before the end of June. As there is a minimum interval of eight weeks between doses to complete a full course, any penultimate dose will need to be delivered by 5 May 2023.
We would encourage those people who have not yet completed their primary course to do as soon as possible to avoid missing out. As well as continuing to protect our communities, having a complete vaccination record is still required for travel in many counties across the world, such as the USA. The EU has also stated that vaccination requirements could be reintroduced if infection rates increased in future.
At this time the COVID-19 vaccine is not available as a routine travel vaccination in the UK outside of the official vaccination programme.
Appointments can be booked or rearranged through the COVID-19 Vaccination Contact Centre on 03000 840004, which is open 8am to 7pm from Monday to Friday and 9am to 2pm at the weekend.
Please attend arranged appointment offered if possible, but if you need to cancel or rearrange an appointment then please let us know via the COVID-19 Vaccination Contact Centre as missed appointments have an impact on our resources.
More information is available here.
Spring booster campaign
We have now started to deliver our spring booster campaign. This is for the most vulnerable, including people over 75.
Following advice from the expert Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the vaccine is being offered to:
- people aged 75 and over
- residents in care homes for older adults
- individuals aged five years and over who are immunosuppressed
Those eligible will be invited via a letter as in previous campaigns and we would ask that people wait for their appointment as opposed to calling to book. The delivery will focus on care homes and people who are housebound in the first few weeks, moving then to mobile over 75-year-olds and people who are immunosuppressed.
Vaccinations for children aged 6 months to 4 years
Children aged 6 months to 4 are eligible for a two-dose primary course of COVID-19 vaccination if they are considered to be in the “at risk” category.
The parents or guardians of the children who qualify for this offer will be contacted directly by the Health Board.