Covid-19 vaccine

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COVID-19 Vaccine

The NHS is now offering vaccinations to people who are most at risk from Covid-19. This follows the approval of both the Pfizer BioNTech and Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines as safe and effective, after extensive trials.

The two approved COVID-19 vaccines do not contain any animal products or egg.

When will a vaccine be available?

The first vaccinations are being offered to people in the priority groups identified by the Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), starting with people aged 80 and over. Groups of GP practices are working together to provide local vaccination services and will contact eligible patients when it is their turn.

Where and when can I get a vaccine?

When it is your turn, you will receive an invitation via the phone or through a letter either from your GP or the national booking system.

We know lots of people will be eager to get protected but please could we kindly ask you not to contact the practice for information about the vaccine or to ask for an appointment, as you will not be able to get one until you receive an invitation.

If you are invited for a vaccine, please act on your invite straight away and make sure you attend your appointments when you arrange them. In the meantime, please continue to abide by all the social distancing and hand hygiene guidance, which will still save lives.

Please note that vaccinations are free of charge and only available through the NHS. Anyone who claims to be able to provide you with a vaccine for a fee is likely to be committing a crime and should be reported to the Police online or by calling 112. The NHS will never ask you to press a button on your keypad or send a text asking you to confirm you want the vaccine.

We will be contacting more and more people over the coming days and weeks, as well as protecting those of our staff who are at greatest risk. Please don’t contact your NHS to seek a vaccine, we will contact you

Vaccination Invitation Letters from the National Booking System

If you are aged (75) or over, and have not yet had a vaccination, you may get a letter from the NHS national booking system inviting you to make an appointment at a large scale centre or community pharmacy.

These are being sent to people who live within 45 minutes of one of the centres that has been opened, which might be in a different area to where you would normally receive your healthcare.

Please note that you do not have to book an appointment at one of these centres if it is not convenient for you to get there. You can:

  • choose to wait for an invitation from your GP practice

OR

  • choose to wait until one of the West Yorkshire centres open and are added to the national booking system, which will happen over the next few weeks.

Please do not contact the practice about an appointment until you receive an invitation from us. We are not able to advise you on when you will get an appointment or which centres are available. All this information is available on the national booking system website.

The centres in West Yorkshire that are currently on the national booking system are:

  • Boots pharmacy in Halifax
  • Superdrug in the Merrion Centre, Leeds
  • Pharmacy2U at the Village Hotel, Leeds
  • Pharmacy2U at Morrisons, Dewsbury Road, Wakefield

Four large scale vaccination centres will be opening in West Yorkshire between now and mid- February. This will be at:

  • Navigation Walk, Wakefield
  • The John Smith’s Stadium, Huddersfield
  • Jacob’s Well, Bradford
  • Elland Road Football Stadium, Leeds

Further information

For more information about the vaccine, please visit www.nhs.uk or see these frequently asked questions.