The Sussex NHS have confirmed that they will be concentrating on providing the second jabs for Cohorts 1-9 during April, in particular in the first two weeks.
There will be no vaccination of under 50’s at this time, other than the occasional ‘using up’ of spare doses at the end of a day. So the stories circulating of under 50’s and much younger cases being vaccinated are isolated incidents of the above which may have been exaggerated by social media. The date for restarting first vaccinations will not be earlier than mid-April. It may be at that time that that the Moderna vaccine will start to come into use.
There are roughly a million people in the Cohorts 1-9 in Sussex and about 90% have been vaccinated once. The ‘missing’ ten percent are being contacted by GPs to ensure they haven’t been missed; or they have wished not to accept the vaccine, or have difficulties attending vaccination sites. In the case of declining of vaccination, there will be advice given which may help to persuade those people to accept vaccination, both for their own benefit and also for the protection of the rest of us.
SECOND DOSES
There are sufficient reserved supplies of both vaccines to complete this work of the second jabs.
Some of you will already have a definite second appointment scheduled, but some who have been vaccinated in a GP centre (most of the early cases in Rotherfield), may not as yet. Those people will be contacted shortly and an appointment arranged.
If the end of your twelve week period is only five days away (i.e. 5th April or earlier) and you do not have your second appointment scheduled yet, you should contact the NHS help line immediately – please call Sussex NHS switchboard on 0300 304 0100 and they will help you.
Please note that the large vaccine centres, e.g. Brighton, in the area have, or will be closed for a short period. Any appointments already made for those periods have been/will be re-arranged.
And finally, if you know of anyone in the ‘missing 10%’ please talk to them about the benefit of having the vaccination. The risk to health of NOT having the jab are vastly greater than having it. And the benefits spread to everyone. Remember, no one is safe till we all are!
If you have any questions please contact Andy Miller.
