COVID-19 Vaccine Information

How will patients be invited for a vaccination?

When it is the right time people will be contacted to make their appointments.

For most people they will receive a letter either from their GP or the national booking system; this will include all the information they need, including their NHS number. Some services are currently also phoning and texting patients to invite them in. 
  
We know lots of people will be eager to get protected but we would ask people not to contact the NHS to get an appointment until they are contacted.  The NHS is working hard to make sure those at greatest risk are offered the vaccine first. 

Is the NHS confident the vaccine is safe? 

Yes. The NHS will not offer any Covid-19 vaccinations to the public until independent experts have signed off that it is safe to do so.   
  
The MHRA, the official UK regulator, has said that both of these vaccines have good safety profiles and offer a high level of protection, and we have full confidence in their expert judgement and processes.   
  
As with any medicine, vaccines are highly regulated products.  
  
There are checks at every stage in the development and manufacturing process, and continued monitoring once it has been authorised and is being used in the wider population.    
 

Will vaccines still be provided/can I still attend my appointment during the national lockdown?

Yes. Getting the COVID-19 vaccine, or any other vaccine, is an important medical appointment and so is within the rules wherever you live. Vaccinations will continue as normal in all areas through the national lockdown and beyond. If you have booked or are offered an appointment, please attend it. 

The place that you choose to have your vaccine will keep you safe from COVID-19 through a range of measures including cleaning and disinfecting and having social distancing in waiting areas. Please also wear a face covering to your appointment. You should also take the usual steps to minimise your risk as you travel to your appointment.
 

Where are the vaccination hubs located?

Our GP Practices are working together in local areas. These groups of Practices are called Primary Care Networks. To get through the numbers needed safely (and manage access and traffic) they have a hub delivering the vaccine for all the member practices.

North Cumbria has eight Primary Care Networks. They are:

• Brampton and Longtown PCN – Brampton Community Centre
• Carlisle Healthcare PCN – North Carlisle Medical Practice
• Carlisle Network PCN – Morton Surgery
• Cockermouth and Maryport PCN – Castlegate and Derwent Surgery (Cockermouth Community Hospital) and Maryport Rugby Club
• Copeland PCN – Flatt Walks Surgery
• Eden PCN – Penrith Hospital
• Keswick and Solway PCN – Wigton Hospital
• Workington PCN – Orchard House Surgery

If you are unable to get to the hub for your vaccine please talk to your Practice when you are called for your appointment to see if alternative arrangements can be made.

How effective are the vaccines?  How long do they take to work?

The MHRA have said these vaccines are highly effective, but to get full protection people need to come back for the second dose – this is really important.  

To ensure as many people are vaccinated as quickly as possible, the Department for Health and Social Care now advise that the second dose of both the OxfordAstraZeneca and the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine should be scheduled up to 12 weeks apart.

Full protection kicks in around a week or two after that second dose, which is why it’s also important that when you do get invited, you act on that and get yourself booked in as soon as possible. Even those who have received a vaccine still need to follow social distancing and other guidance.  

What vaccines are currently available?

Both the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines are now available. Both vaccines have been shown to be safe and offer high levels of protection, and have been given regulatory approval by the MHRA.

The Government has in principle secured access to seven different vaccine candidates, across four different vaccine types.

This includes:   
•    the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine  
•    the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.
•    the Moderna vaccine, which is also being assessed by the MHRA. 
 

What happens if a person has the first jab but not the second?

Both vaccines have been authorised on the basis of two doses because the evidence from the clinical trials shows that this gives the maximum level of protection. 

To ensure as many people are vaccinated as quickly as possible, the Department for Health and Social Care now advise that the second dose of both the Oxford/AstraZeneca and the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine should be scheduled up to 12 weeks apart.

The evidence doesn’t show any risk to not having the second dose other than not being as protected as you otherwise would be. We would urge everyone to show up for both of their appointments for their own protection as well as to ensure we don’t waste vaccines or the time of NHS staff
 

Why are you postponing second doses?

The UK Chief Medical Officers have agreed a longer timeframe between first and second doses so that more people can get their first dose quickly, and because the evidence shows that one dose still offers a high level of protection. This decision will allow us to get the maximum benefit for the most people in the shortest possible time and will help save lives.

We recognise for some people a longer wait might be worrying, and clinicians have the discretion to vaccinate people sooner if they think this is needed. Getting both doses remains important so we would urge people to return for it at the right time.