Vaccine Information – COVID-19

What vaccines will be available?

• The University of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine are now available across the UK.

Who can get the Covid-19 vaccination?

• The NHS is currently offering the COVID-19 vaccine to people most at risk from coronavirus, in line with the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.
• The Government set a target to offer vaccines to everyone in the top four priority groups, as outlined by the JCVI, by 15 February:

It’s being given to:

1. Residents in a care home for older adults and their carers
2. Those over 80 years and over and frontline health and social care workers
3. Those 75 and over
4. Those 70 years and over and the clinically extremely vulnerable

The vaccine will be offered more widely as soon as possible.

How many people in total is that?

• Around 13 million in England.
• Around 15 million across the UK.

Does this mean you will have vaccinated all vulnerable people by spring?

• We want to vaccinate as many people as possible as quickly as possible. Deploying a vaccine at this scale is unprecedented, and timing will be subject, in part, to manufacturing timescales and supply.

Why are we beginning to vaccinate the next two priority groups when the first two have not all received their vaccines?

• Priority remains to vaccinate top 2 cohorts first, while over 4 million people have received their first vaccine dose in the UK.
• Vaccinating the first 2 groups will remain the priority, but vaccination sites which have enough supply and capacity for vaccinating further people are allowed to offer vaccinations to the next 2 cohorts – those aged 70 and over and clinically extremely vulnerable people.
• This will allow areas that have already vaccinated the majority of care home residents, frontline health and care staff and people aged 80 and over to keep up the momentum and start vaccinating further at-risk people, helping the NHS to reach the Prime Minister’s commitment of offering vaccinations to the first 4 priority groups by the middle of February.

Apart from the JCVI priority list are others being invited to receive Covid-19 vaccine?

• Up to 2,000 highly trained workers identified by the government as being irreplaceable and crucial to the delivery of supplies will be offered Covid-19 vaccines in the coming days.
• This will reduce the risk of an outbreak that would disrupt the immediate supply chain, which could have a significant impact on the largest vaccination programme in British history.
• Crucial workers in roles such as manufacturing, fill and finish and batch testing will be offered vaccines.

Who will be vaccinated after the four priority groups?

• After the first 4 priority groups we will work through the JCVI priority groups 5 – 9 (people 50 and over in order of age and clinical need).
• The second phase is still under consideration and the advice will be updated at the appropriate time.
• Options being considered include prevention of hospitalisation and vaccination in occupations at high risk of exposure or providing key public services.

 Should people who have already had Covid get vaccinated? 

• Yes, if they are in a priority group identified by JCVI. The MHRA have looked at this and decided that getting vaccinated is just as important for those who have already had Covid-19 as it is for those who haven’t.