Coronavirus Vaccine

Coronavirus Vaccines: the latest information

*AstraZeneca Vaccines in under 40s: Please note, first doses of the AstraZeneca (Oxford) vaccine are currently not being offered to anyone under 40. If you are under 40 and waiting for your second dose, it is still recommended that you should have the AstraZeneca vaccine for your second dose.*

Due to the recent change in guidance to no longer offer the AstraZeneca vaccine to under 40s, we have heard that some patients are being turned away from the 119 service if they are in this age category, even if they are in a priority group or are pregnant. This is because not enough vaccine hubs have stocks of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at present. Unfortunately, we have no power to do anything about this and no Pfizer or Moderna vaccines to offer. We as a Surgery are not being supplied with any more vaccines. If 119 advise you to call us if you are in this situation, please help our staff by not doing so, as we will be unable to help. Instead, we advise waiting a little while longer and checking back regularly on the national booking sites, as more appointments will become available as soon as stocks of alternative vaccines are rolled out to hubs. Many thanks.

We are currently inviting patients in for the second vaccination doses only. For patients who have previously been eligible but missed their first dose, please book your vaccination at one of the local hubs by visiting https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/ or calling 119.

If you are waiting to hear from us about your second dose, please note there is no need to contact us as we will be in touch with you shortly before 12 weeks post your first dose.
Our phone lines are very busy; please help us to keep lines open for people needing to make appointments for other health matters.

We are not currently offering any further 1st dose vaccines for anyone in priority groups 1 - 10. To book your first dose, please book into a hub, as above.

Vaccinations for under 50s

We are no longer offering Covid-19 vaccinations to those under the age of 50. Patients will now need to book their vaccination online or by calling 119. You will need to check online that vaccines are being offered for your specific age, and this is updated on a regular basis.

If you have questions about the vaccine please read the information below.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Which priority group are you currently inviting?
As of 12th May 2021 we have offered vaccinations to everyone in the following priority groups:

Residents in a care home for older adults and their carers
All those 80 years of age and over, and frontline health and social care workers
All those 75 years of age and over
All those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals
All those 65 years of age and over
All individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality
All those 60 years of age and over
All those 55 years of age and over
All those 50 years of age and over

If you are in one of the above groups and not had an invitation from us, it is because we have been unable to get hold of you, and will have tried more than once. Please visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/ or call 119 to book your vaccine should you wish to have it.

We are now working on delivering second doses to priority groups 1 - 9, in the order in which firsts were given. We are currently (as of 12th May) offering 2nd vaccines to those who had their first dose from mid February - mid March.

How are you contacting people to invite them for a vaccine?
We are contacting patients by telephone mostly and will send letters to those we are unable to get hold of. Please ensure we have your up-to-date telephone number.

Why have I been offered an appointment at Bridge Health Centre?
We are working together with Canterbury Medical Practice (partly based at Bridge) and the University Medical Centre to deliver the vaccine programme, as we form a Primary Care Network (PCN) with them. Bridge was nominated as our lead site and is where the stocks of vaccine are delivered to. Each Practice is organising clinics for their own patients, so you will be invited by a member of New Dover Road staff, and the staff at the clinic session are also from New Dover Road (plus a number of fully-trained volunteers, including retired GPs). Due to the fragile nature of the Pfizer vaccine, we are unable to move this further than Bridge, so currently all patients having the Pfizer vaccine are having to travel to Bridge. We have been able to hold some clinics for the AstraZeneca vaccine from our own Surgery, and are using this vaccine for care home residents and the housebound.

If I cannot attend an appointment what should I do?
If you have received and accepted an invitation for a Covid-19 vaccine we would strongly encourage you to prioritise coming to the appointment. If for unavoidable reasons you cannot make it, please call us to cancel as soon as possible, so that we can invite someone else. Do not call Bridge Health Centre.

Should I come for a vaccine if I have symptoms of Covid-19?
No. If you or someone in your immediate household has symptoms of the virus it is essential that you self-isolate and book a test. Your vaccine can be re-arranged after your self-isolation.

If I’ve had Covid-19 do I need the vaccines?
Yes, getting vaccinated is just as important for those who have already had Covid-19 as it is for those who haven’t.

How soon after having Covid-19 can I have the vaccine?
It is recommended that people wait 4 weeks after recovering from Covid-19 or from being tested positive but not experiencing symptoms. We will rearrange invitations if you are in this situation when first invited to have the vaccine.

When will the second dose be given?
From 30 December the national guidance changed and second doses will now be scheduled for 10-12 weeks after the first dose. We started to deliver second doses from 10th March, beginning with patients who received their first in the week before Christmas. We are now soley focussing on second doses.

Can I pay for the vaccines privately?
No, all Covid-19 vaccines are being provided free by the NHS. If you see any offers to get the vaccine privately it will be a scam and you must not contact them.

Are you keeping reserve lists?
Yes, but these can still only consist of people within the priority groups above. Please be assured that wastage to date has been absolutely neligible, due to careful planning.

I have had my first vaccine and am nearly due my second. Why have I not yet heard from you?
We are using every dose of vaccine we are provided with as quickly as possible after they are delivered. However, we have no control over how many vials of vaccine we receive each week, although these now are tending to mirror the numbers we received 12 weeks ago. Each week we have to work out how many appointments we can provide based on the number of vaccine doses we are expecting delivery of. It is most efficient to work through lists methodically in date order. This is why it is important not to contact us, as we are working hard to plan clinics effectively and call as many patients as we can each week.

Find out more: For more information about the Covid-19 vaccination programme in Kent and Medway please visit www.kentandmedwayccg.nhs.uk/covid19vaccine

Please help protect yourself, friends and loved ones by getting vaccinated when you are invited. In the meantime, it is as important as ever to maintain social distancing, handwashing and wearing face coverings in public spaces.

Currently, 47% of all New Dover Road Surgery patients have had at least one vaccine dose, including 98% of patients aged 75 and over. 27% of our patients have had their 2nd dose. Our Surgery have delivered nearly 4700 vaccine doses since 22nd December.

Page updated 12th May 2021

Published: Dec 3, 2020