COVID-19 vaccination programme

The NHS is currently offering Covid-19 vaccinations to people in the following priority groups:

• Cohort 5 – people aged 65-69
• Cohort 6 – people with underlying health conditions that put them at greater risk from Covid-19 and carers of elderly and disabled people
• Cohort 7 – people aged 60-64
• Cohort 8 – people aged 55-59 

If you are in one of these groups, you will be contacted when it is your turn for a vaccination, either by your practice or the NHS national booking service.

Anyone aged 55 or over can book an appointment through the national booking service without waiting for a letter or by calling 119. This will be extended to people in cohort 9 (50-54) over the next few weeks so keep an eye on the site homepage to see when you can use the service.  

We know lots of people will be eager to get protected but please do not contact your GP practice or the NHS for an appointment. The NHS is working hard to make sure those at greatest risk are offered the vaccine first and people will not be able to make an appointment until they have received an invitation.

Covid-19 vaccinations are free of charge and only available through the NHS. Text messages from the NHS will show as being sent from NHSvaccine and will only link to the NHS.uk website. The NHS will never ask you for your bank account or card details, your PIN or banking password, or ask you to press a button on your keypad.

Please continue to follow all the safety guidance even when you’ve had the vaccine as you may still be able to spread the disease, in particular hand hygiene, wearing a face mask and social distancing.

or more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination or see these frequently asked questions.

• Infographic: how to get your COVID-19 vaccination 

Pregnant women and the COVID-19 vaccination 

The Joint Committee for Vaccinations and Immunisations has updated its guidance and is now advising that pregnant women should be offered COVID-19 vaccines at the same time as people of the same age or risk group.  They have said it is preferable for pregnant women to have the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine where available because they've been more widely used during pregnancy in other countries and no safety concerns have been identified. There is no evidence to suggest that other vaccines are unsafe for pregnant women but more research is needed. 

You should speak to a healthcare professional before you have the vaccination to discuss the benefits and risks with you. You should also read the COVID-19 leaflet for childbearing, pregnant or breastfeeding women than can be found by clicking this link.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists have summarised the latest information and have answered a number of frequently asked questions that can be found by visiting this webpage.

AstraZeneca second dose leaflet

Public Health England (PHE) have published a leaflet for people who have had their first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine and have concerns about having the second dose.

The leaflet is for health practitioners to give out to people and is available for download only. It covers the current government advice, side effects and clarifies that the AstraZeneca vaccine causes far fewer side effects after the second dose, and that most side effects only last a day or two.

View the Leaflet here

COVID-19 vaccination programme guidance documents 

Selected documents from Public Health England relating to the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination programme. For the full list of documents, visit the Public Health England website.

Translations and alternative formats (including British sign language, large print and easy read versions) are also available on a variety of topics on Public Health England’s resource centre.

British Sign Language (BSL) videos related to the vaccination programme, along with leaflets on which these videos are based on are also available to download, with paper copies are also available to order.

These leaflets and translated leaflets can also be viewed, downloaded or ordered as paper copies via the Health Publications orderline website at here.

• COVID-19 vaccination: why you are being asked to wait
  Information about COVID-19 vaccination supplies
• COVID-19 vaccination: consent form and letter for healthcare workers 
  Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination consent form and letter templates for healthcare workers.
• COVID-19 vaccination: consent form and letter for social care staff 
  Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination consent form and letter templates for social care staff.
• COVID-19 vaccination: consent forms and letters for care home residents 
  Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination consent forms and letter templates for care home residents.
• COVID-19 vaccination: care home and healthcare settings posters 
  This COVID-19 vaccination first phase priority groups poster is suitable for all care home and healthcare settings.
• COVID-19 vaccination: what to expect after vaccination 
  Information for people who have had their first COVID-19 vaccination.
• Guidance to vaccination centres on managing allergic reactions following COVID-19 vaccination with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine 
  Statement by Dr June Raine, Chief Executive of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency on the guidance to vaccination centres on managing allergic reactions following COVID-19 vaccination with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
• COVID-19 vaccination: a guide for social care staff 
  Information for frontline health and social care workers on COVID-19 vaccination
• COVID-19 vaccination: guide for healthcare workers 
  Information for frontline healthcare workers on COVID-19 vaccination.
• COVID-19 vaccination: guide for older adults 
  Information for eligible adults on COVID-19 vaccination.
• COVID-19 vaccination: women of childbearing age, currently pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding 
  Information for all women of childbearing age, those currently pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding on COVID-19 vaccination.
• COVID-19: the green book, chapter 14a 
  Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination information for public health professionals.

Other information and resources

• Vaccine Delivery Plan
• Latest vaccination data 
• Bristol University "Global experts urge everyone to talk about COVID-19 vaccines responsibly" 
• Covid-19 PHE The Green Book
• Action fraud
• NHS Covid vaccine

For the full list of COVID-19 vaccination programme documents, visit the Public Health England website. For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit the website here.