Table of Contents
Progress To Date
The COVID-19 vaccination programme continues to be rolled out. The Program is on target for offering the COVID-19 vaccination to the top four priority groups by mid-February; HURRAH!
- Three large Vaccination Centres are open across Sussex: the Brighton Centre, The Welcome Building, Eastbourne, and Crawley Hospital;
- Residents living in all care homes for older people in West Sussex have been offered the COVID-19 vaccine. A small remainder of homes in Sussex have had visits deferred for safety reasons, following a risk assessment during a local outbreak;
- Our GP-led vaccination services are available to all registered patients who are eligible for a vaccine;
- Seven hospital hubs are currently focusing on vaccinating health and care staff;
- Housebound patients, who cannot attend a vaccination site, are being contacted and visited by a roving service to take the vaccine into people’s own homes.
Priorities
- Priority 1 – Residents and staff in a care home for older adults – all older peoples care homes have received first dose vaccinations, except for a small number which been deferred due to an outbreak. Vaccinations for these homes have been scheduled.
- Priority 2 – Frontline Health and social care workers, and aged 80+. Front line NHS staff have received first dose vaccination and remaining social care staff vaccinations will be completed by February 15th. Most people aged 80 and over have been vaccinated, with the remainder expected by February 15th.
- Priority 3 – Aged 75-79. 1% of those aged 75-79 have received the first dose vaccination. The remainder are expected to be completed by February 15th.
- Priority 4 – Aged 70-74 and Clinically extremely vulnerable individuals – a high percentage of those aged 70-74 have received the first dose vaccination and the remainder are expected to be completed by February 15th. We Those who are clinically extremely vulnerable have been identified and the Primary Care Networks (PCNs) are working to ensure this cohort is vaccinated as early as possible.
How services are working
There are several ways in which the vaccination is being rolled out to our communities:
- GP led vaccination services – these include the GP led or community vaccination services, and pharmacy services in some areas;
- Large Vaccination Centres – each county has one large Vaccination Centre which will be able to give the vaccine to large numbers of people as more supplies become available. The Welcome Building in Eastbourne went live last week for anyone in the eligible groups living within 60 miles;
- Roving service – the vaccine is being taken into care homes and into people’s own homes if they cannot attend a vaccination site; and
- Hospital hubs – larger hospitals across the country have been offering the vaccine to people over 80 attending for a planned appointment. Now that more local vaccination services are up and running, hospital hubs are focused on vaccinating health and care
GP led vaccination services.
Wealden district
Across the district there are vaccination services available for patients living in and around Crowborough and Uckfield. The services are:
For Crowborough: Saxonbury House Medical Centre, for patients at:
- Ashdown Forest Health Centre, Beacon Surgery, Wadhurst Medical Group, Groombridge and Hartfield Medical Group, Rotherfield Surgery, Saxonbury House Surgery, and Woodhill Surgery
For Uckfield: The Meads Medical Centre, for patients at:
- Bird-in-Eye Surgery, Buxted Medical Centre, Herstmonceux Integrative Health Centre, Heathfield Surgery, Mid Downs Medical Practice, and The Meads Surgery
For Hailsham:
- Bridgeside Surgery, Hailsham Medical Group, Quintins Medical Centre
Information for the over 60’s, who will soon be offered vaccination.
Who will contact me to offer me the vaccine?
- You will be contacted by the first NHS service that is able to offer you a vaccination. This may be your GP, one of the large Vaccination Centres or another NHS service.
- The NHS will let you know when it’s your turn to have the vaccine. Again, it’s important not to contact the NHS for a vaccination before then. Note that you must still have received an invitation to book an appointment at one of the large Vaccination Centres.
- If you have an agreed appointment at one of the above and you receive a letter from the NHS, just ignore it. Remember that the second vaccination must be taken at the same site at the first.
Do people who have already had COVID-19 get vaccinated?
- Yes, they should get vaccinated. There is no evidence of any safety concerns from vaccinating individuals with a history of COVID-19 infection, or with detectable COVID- 19 antibody, so people who have had COVID-19 (whether confirmed or suspected) can still receive the vaccine when it is their time to do so.
What is in the vaccine?
- There is no material of foetal or animal origin in either vaccine. All ingredients are published in the healthcare information on the MHRA’s website.
Contact
And lastly, if you have any queries or concerns, do not hesitate to contact me:
Tel: 01892 852389, Mobile: 07817 130653, Email: Andy.vaccinationchampion@gmail.com
