LATEST - St Helens GPs will be booking the remaining over 80s in for their Covid vaccination over the course of next week and all over 80s will be contacted to book an appointment slot very shortly.
If you are over 80 you may have received a national letter inviting you to book on line, which offers appointments further afield, which is an alternative option available to you, but we can assure you that your local practice will be in contact with you to offer you an appointment at Saints Rugby Ground in the next week, offering you a more local option run by your GP practice.
SSP Health is working with local health authorities to deliver COVID-19 vaccinations through GP practices and other venues.
The most vulnerable are being offered the vaccination first, with larger numbers of people being offered it over the coming months.
Our practices will contact patients individually to arrange vaccination appointments - two will be needed, around 12 weeks apart. Please DO NOT contact your surgery inquiring about an appointment ahead of us contacting you as they are given in order, based strictly on clinical need.
Please do not attend your vaccination appointment if you have Coronavirus symptoms. Cancel the appointment. You will be given another date for your vaccination.
Please attend the appointment at the correct time. If you come early you will have to wait. Wear appropriate clothing for an injection and a facemask.
Unless you need assistance, please come alone for your vaccination as social distancing needs to be adhered to.
You can also have your vaccination at one of the NHS regional centres if you wish and you may be contacted separately by the NHS about this. You can choose the regional centre or your GP-led centre.
Getting vaccinated is the best way to keep safe from COVID-19 but even after your inoculation you must abide by restrictions, handwashing and social distancing until the Government advises you otherwise.
Coronavirus vaccines are safe and effective. They have been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and must go through all the clinical trials and safety checks that all other licensed medicines go through. The MHRA follows international standards of safety.
So far, many thousands of people have been given a COVID-19 vaccine with very few side effects.
Detailed information from the NHS on the vaccines is available by clicking here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/coronavirus-vaccine/
If you think you have Coronavirus and have symptoms, which can include fever, a new continuous cough or the loss of the sense of taste or smell, DO NOT come into your GP practice or visit any other health facility, including a pharmacy.
Please stay at home and read the NHS 111 web pages for advice and information or ring the NHS on 111.
Please see this video for an update on the vaccine rollout, as of January 12: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptpw3eWFOto&t