Vaccine clinics carry on through the snow

Despite the snowy conditions our vaccination teams have continued to run; with many teams working extra hard to clear snow and grit roads and pavements. We appreciate some people have not felt comfortable travelling to a vaccination site during the snowy conditions, but if you are happy that it’s safe to travel in your area vaccine services are running and appointments can be rescheduled.

Top four priority groups asked to contact NHS

Anyone aged 70 and over or on the Shielded Patients List (because they are clinically extremely vulnerable) who has not yet had a first dose vaccine can use the national booking system to book an appointment. You do not need a letter from the NHS. Members of the public not in these groups still need to wait for a letter.
 
You can book for yourself or on behalf of a relative. The person being vaccinated will need to be registered with a GP. You'll need the name, date of birth and home postcode of the person being vaccinated. The person's NHS number is helpful but not essential.
 
You can use the national booking service to arrange an appointment at one of three vaccination centres or seven community pharmacy-led services in the county.
 
The vaccination centres are in:

• Folkestone
• Gravesend
• Tonbridge

Pharmacy services are running in:

• Sevenoaks Pharmacy
• Lawsat Pharmacy, vaccinations at Cliffe Woods Community Centre
• New Romney Pharmacy, vaccinations at New Romney Old School
• Clockwork Pharmacy, Deal
• Boots Bluewater
• Boots Chatham
• Pharmacy2U, Maidstone, vaccinations at Odeon Cinema, Lockmeadow.

There is no restriction on where you live and you can book at any of these sites if slots are available.

Book online at www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/

If you can’t book online, you can call 119 free of charge, anytime between 7am and 11pm seven-days-a-week. British Sign Language, text relay and interpreter services are available.

GP-run vaccine services and housebound visits

The national booking service cannot make appointments for GP services or home visits.

GPs and their teams continue to invite people to local vaccination services and are prioritising going out to housebound patients who haven’t already been vaccinated.

If people over 70 or clinically extremely vulnerable, who have not yet had a first dose Covid-19 vaccine, want to use GP services they should now contact their GP practice. Members of the public not in these groups still need to wait to be contacted.

Residents with learning disabilities prioritised

Given the evidence of Covid-19 inequalities increasing deaths amongst people with learning disabilities, the NHS in Kent and Medway has agreed to prioritise vaccinating the 9,500 people on GP learning disability registers.

Residents of care homes for people with learning disabilities are being vaccinated and those living independently or with family will be contacted via their GP service. The Community Learning Disability Nursing Team is providing a service to vaccinate adults with learning disabilities who are not able to attend a GP vaccine site.