Posts

Covid-19 vaccinations – the next phase

The Covid-19 vaccination programme in Northumberland, led by Primary Care Networks of GP practices has been successful in offering a vaccine to those in priority groups 1 to 4 – those aged 70 and over – by 15 February 2021. Thank you to those who have had their vaccine and who are helping to protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities. If you are over 70 and haven’t had your first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine yet, please contact your GP straight away or make an appointment here, or by phoning 119.

The next phase of the programme is to vaccinate those in priority groups 5 to 9 (everybody over 50 years of age) and the target date for this is 15 April 2021. This phase will also include delivering second doses of the vaccine to those already vaccinated in January and February.

If you are in group 5 (over 65 years) or group 6 (those aged between 16 and 64 who have underlying health conditions) you will be invited by your GP practice to have the vaccine at one of ten hubs across the county or you may receive a letter inviting you to make an appointment at the Centre for Life in Newcastle. If travelling to Newcastle is inconvenient for you, you can ignore the letter and choose to wait to hear from your GP about having the vaccination at a hub closer to where you live.

Read more about the NHS in Northumberland’s reassurance that people can choose to have their vaccine at a hub closer to home.

You don’t need to call your practice; you won’t be forgotten and will be contacted when it’s your turn – look out for a letter, listen for the phone and check for text messages, as you could be contacted in any one of these ways.

GP practices will be calling people on the basis of:

  • Age – this is by far the most significant factor in determining an individual’s level of risk of complications or serious illness as a result of Covid-19 infection
  • Comorbidity – individuals with a number of underlying health conditions have an increased level of risk from Covid-19
  • Ethnicity – individuals from a BAME background are more at risk from Covid-19

You can be prepared ahead of your vaccination appointment by thinking about how you might travel to the centre, make sure you arrive on time and take your NHS number with you if possible – this can be found on letters from your GP or hospital or your prescription.

Visit our Coronavirus Information Page for more on the pandemic.