Updates - -
Community pharmacy toolkit: Delivering an open access vaccination clinic
Doctors of the World (DOTW), the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and NHS England and NHS Improvement, have jointly developed a new toolkit that provides guidance and resources to help pharmacy teams to deliver open access COVID-19 and flu vaccination clinics this winter.
New COVID-19 vaccine fact cards
A series of COVID vaccine cards featuring trusted health experts from the Black African and Black African Caribbean community have been developed by the British Society for Immunology and NHS England and NHS Improvement.
For urgent action: releasing staff for vaccination sites
Yesterday the government announced a large-scale expansion of the Covid-19 vaccine booster programme in response to concerns about the Omicron variant. Everyone aged 18+ who had their 2nd vaccine at least 3 months ago is now eligible for a booster.
Temporary GP contract changes to support COVID-19 vaccination programme
This letter sets out further details of the actions we are taking to support GPs, primary care networks (PCNs) and their teams to progress this expansion of the vaccination programme.
Update: Vaccination as a condition of deployment (VCOD) for all healthcare workers
Guidance for employers.
Expansion of vaccine programme in response to the emergence of the Omicron variant: next steps for deployment
On Monday the government accepted updated advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) following the emergence of the Omicron variant.
Support for NHS staff with needle phobias
Needle phobia is very common, affecting at least one in 10 people, and is nothing to be ashamed of. For many people, the fear of needles is linked to feeling faint. When the fear is triggered (e.g. seeing blood or a needle), heart rate & blood pressure increase, but then rapidly drop.
Updated COVID-19 Clinical Risk Assessment Tool
The latest version of the Oxford University’s QCovid® model in now available. This version has been refined using more recent data and now considers a patient’s vaccination status and national infection levels.
COVID-19 boosters in NHS COVID Pass
Patients in England are now able to use the NHS COVID Pass to demonstrate proof of their booster vaccination for international travel. Booster vaccination records can be accessed within the NHS App and online, by searching ‘NHS COVID Pass’ on the NHS website.
Vaccination of under-18s deferral period extended for those recovering from COVID-19
Previously the Green Book advised that vaccination should be deferred until clinical recovery from COVID-19 infection to around four weeks after onset of symptoms or four weeks from the first confirmed positive specimen in those who are asymptomatic.
COVID-19 vaccination programme: inclusion of cohort 10 (40-49 year olds) in the booster programme and second dose vaccination for remaining 16 to 17 year olds
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has published on 15 November advice on boosters for cohort 10 (those aged 40-49 years old) and second doses for 16 to 17 year olds not in an at-risk group.
JCVI announcement on COVID-19 booster vaccines for those aged 40 to 49 and second doses for 16 to 17 year olds
Read the system letter from NHS England and Improvement and the JCVI announcement