Coronavirus Vaccination in Devon - Briefing #11 - 19 March 2021 Key messages - Castle Place Practice
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Coronavirus Vaccination in Devon
Briefing #11 – 19 March 2021
Key messages
• 520,901 people in Devon received a first vaccine dose between 8 December
and 14 March, meaning more than half of people aged 16 and over in
Devon have had a first dose
• People aged 50 and above are being invited to book a life-saving Covid jab,
with appointments now available.
• Despite the supply issues (see below), if you already have an appointment
over the coming weeks, whether for your first or second dose, this remains in
place and it’s really important that you attend it as planned. We will also
continue to encourage those aged 50 and above to take the jab.
• The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, 56, is to be vaccinated with the Oxford
AstraZeneca vaccine, while the chief executive of the NHS, Sir Simon
Stevens, 54, received his on yesterday (18 March).
• Several European countries, including Germany, France, Italy and Spain are
restarting use of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine after Europe's medicines
regulator concluded the benefits outweighed the risks and, on Thursday, the
World Health Organization called on countries which had paused its use to
continue using it.
• The UK regulator, the MHRA, also confirmed that people that people should
continue to receive the AstraZeneca jab (see below).
• Vaccination isn’t the only way we can fight Covid-19 – follow public health
safety advice, stay at home if you can and remember: hands, face, space.
• Nationally, take-up of the vaccine has been strong; nine out of 10 people aged
65 and over have already taken up their first dose. In the last week
nationwide, the NHS has more people than ever coming forward for vaccines
- on Wednesday (17 March) almost half a million vaccinations were recorded,
74% more than the same day last week.
Vaccination programme – update
• The Medical Director for Primary Care at NHS England and NHS
Improvement has written to the NHS to update on the latest position on
vaccine supply and deployment over the next six weeks.
• The letter says that after two weeks of increases, there will now be a
significant reduction in weekly supply from 29 March, estimated to last for
four weeks, due to ‘reductions in inbound vaccine supply’.
• On 18 March, Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock gave a
statement in the House of Commons saying that in the last week, a batch of
1.7 million doses had been delayed due to the need to re-test its stability. He
also said a scheduled arrival from the Serum Institute of India had been
delayed.
• The reduction in supply means the amount of vaccine available for first doses
will be ‘significantly constrained’ from 29 March onwards.
• However, vaccine is available between now and then and this week, the
National Booking Service was opened to everyone aged 50 and over, and
GPs will continue to call individuals to be vaccinated.• In Devon, the focus will be on using this available supply to vaccinate as
many people as possible in groups 1-9 of the Joint Committee on Vaccination
and Immunisation priority list.
• These groups include people aged 50 and over, people who are clinically
vulnerable and eligible health and care staff.
• People in JCVI group 9, people aged 50-54, began being invited by the
programme by text and letter on 17 March, the 100th day of the vaccination
programme.
• Anyone who has received a letter from the National Booking Service inviting
them to book an appointment should use the website or 119 to book an
appointment, or they can wait to be contacted by their GP practice.
• You don’t need to have received a letter to use the National Booking Service,
as long as you are in an eligible group at the time of booking. The service
offers appointments at large vaccination centres or the selected community
pharmacies that are offering the jab:
o Large vaccination centres at Westpoint Exeter and Home Park,
Plymouth (or Taunton Racecourse in Somerset and the Royal Cornwall
Showground, Wadebridge, if more convenient)
o Pharmacy sites: Plymouth Cricket Ground, Devonport, run by
Devonport Pharmacy; Lewis Pharmacy, Exeter Road, Exmouth;
Westward Ho! Baptist Church, run by Arnolds Pharmacy, Westward
Ho!
• Demand is expected to be high. Further appointments in Devon may be
added to the National Booking System in coming days (up to 31 March)
depending on levels of supply and demand.
• People who are using the online national booking system for their
appointments are being reminded to click on the ‘confirm’ button which will
finalise their booking and makes sure the vaccination centre knows they are
coming. The patient should receive an email confirmation with the details of
the appointment.
• The supply constraint means that no further appointments will be made
available from 1-30 April.
• If you can’t get an appointment, please do not call your local GP practice,
but you are encouraged to take up the offer when they contact you.
• Existing appointments are not being cancelled. If you have an appointment,
please attend it. If you cannot attend a booked appointment, use the ‘Manage
My Booking’ section on the National Booking Section to cancel or rearrange it,
or, if your appointment is booked via your GP practice, contact them to cancel
or rearrange.
• Vaccination services in Devon will continue working together to make sure the
available supply is used to vaccinate people in the nine priority groups.
• Second dose appointments will also be honoured and it is expected that all
second doses that are due will be given as planned.
• Do not attend a vaccination centre without an appointment – you will be
turned away.
• Devon’s vaccination delivery programme was designed to be flexible, scaled
up and diversified in line with fluctuating international vaccine supplies.
• GP practices in Devon are moving to JCVI groups seven to nine (people
aged 50+) this week and are working through their patient lists in priority
order, and will contact everyone in turn. Remember, JCVI group six involves
vaccinating people 16-64 who are deemed clinically vulnerable.• GP practices in Devon are especially keen that anyone who is clinically
vulnerable (JCVI group 6 – people aged 16-64 with underlying health
conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality)
takes up the offer of a vaccine. Most people in this group will have been
contacted by their practice in recent weeks and doctors are keen to book in
anyone who hasn’t yet fixed up an appointment.
• The Government says the NHS still intends to vaccinate everyone in
priority groups 1-9 by mid-April and remains on-track to have offered a
vaccination to all adults by the end of July 2021, despite the supply issue in
April.
UK regulator says people should continue to receive AstraZeneca
• People should still go and get their COVID-19 vaccine when asked to do so,
according to the UK regulator, the MHRA.
• Yesterday (18 March), the MHRA confirmed that the benefits of the Oxford
AstraZeneca vaccine far outweigh the risks.
• The MHRA said: “The available evidence does not suggest that blood clots in
veins (venous thromboembolism) are caused by COVID-19 Vaccine
AstraZeneca.”
• Dr June Raine, MHRA Chief Executive, said: “Our thorough and careful
review, alongside the critical assessment of leading, independent scientists,
shows that there is no evidence that that blood clots in veins is occurring more
than would be expected in the absence of vaccination, for either vaccine.
• “We have received a very small number of reports of an extremely rare form
of blood clot in the cerebral veins (sinus vein thrombosis, or CSVT) occurring
together with lowered platelets soon after vaccination. This type of blood clot
can occur naturally in people who have not been vaccinated, as well as in
those suffering from COVID-19.
• “Given the extremely rare rate of occurrence of these CSVT events among
the 11 million people vaccinated, and as a link to the vaccine is unproven, the
benefits of the vaccine in preventing COVID-19, with its associated risk of
hospitalisation and death, continue to outweigh the risks of potential side
effects.
• “You should therefore continue to get your jab when it is your turn.
• “While we continue to investigate these cases, as a precautionary measure
we would advise anyone with a headache that lasts for more than 4 days after
vaccination, or bruising beyond the site of vaccination after a few days, to
seek medical attention.
• “However, please remember that mild flu-like symptoms remain one of the
most common side effects of any COVID-19 vaccine, including headache,
chills and fever. These generally appear within a few hours and resolve within
a day or two, but not everyone gets them.”
• The World Health Organization and the European Medicines Agency have
also said the benefits of the vaccine also outweigh the risks.
Vaccination data for Devon
• 520,901 people in Devon received a first vaccine dose between 8 December
and 14 March, meaning more than half of people aged 16 and over in Devon
have had a first dose, vaccination data published by NHS England and NHS
Improvement shows, broken down as follows:Number of first Approx % of age group
Age group
doses given received first dose*
80+ 79,233 Estimated to be at least
75-79 58,455 95% for people
70-74 76,814 aged 70 and above#
65-69 69,363 92%
60-64 62,080 79.2%
55-59 40,249 47%
16+ 520,901 52.1%
* Based on number of first doses given as a proportion of the 2019 ONS population estimates. Data
sourced from NHS England and Improvement.
# Due to population growth since 2019, in some cases the tables show the number of vaccines given
as higher than the 2019 population figures used.
• 8,492 second doses were also given in the last week, with nearly 30,000
second doses given since the programme began in Devon.
• The latest information regarding the percentages of care home staff and
residents, and social care staff is also contained within the weekly figures.
Vaccination isn’t the only way we can fight Covid
The supply issue in April is a further reminder that everyone has a role to play in
bringing the pandemic to an end – here’s what local people can do
1. Stay at home: The best thing the public can do to help the NHS is to stay at
home as much as possible:
o Every time you leave your home you risk coming into contact with an
infected person or touching a surface or door handle or petrol pump
which may be contaminated. Any one of these interactions could be a
crucial link in the chain of transmission which could lead to someone
becoming seriously ill or dying from COVID-19.
o People in Devon have really helped by following the government
guidance seriously. If everyone does as they are asked, our hospitals
and other services will cope.
2. When you get your call from the NHS for your vaccine, please take it up:
o The NHS will get in touch with you when it’s your turn to be
vaccinated.
o Please attend your appointment.
o You will not be offered a choice of which vaccination you receive –
both approved vaccines are rigorously tested, safe and effective.
o Please help us by not calling your local hospital or GP practice about
getting the vaccine – the NHS will contact you when it’s your turn.
o Blocking phonelines with queries stops other people getting healthcare
and diverts staff time, meaning the vaccine rollout will be slower.
3. You may still transmit Covid after you have been vaccinated.
o Having the vaccine should protect you from becoming seriously ill from
COVID-19, but you may still be a risk to others if you are exposed.
o It is crucial that you continue to observe the ‘stay at home’ and ‘hands,
face, space’ advice until advised that it is no longer necessary.
4. Follow the government guidance: ‘Hands, Face, Space’.
5. Use the NHS in the best way
o Think 111 first; or choose the right service for your needs: self-care,
pharmacists, local minor injury services or your GP.Devon’s NHS working with local black, Asian and minority ethnic
communities to increase vaccine up-take
• The NHS in Devon is supporting people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic
communities (BAME) to take up a potentially life-saving coronavirus
vaccination when they are eligible as part of the national programme.
• Like other areas of the country, take-up of the vaccination in Devon among
some BAME communities is lower than in the overall population.
• The NHS in Devon is asking people from communities where uptake is low or
concerns are high to get in touch with the local NHS so support can be offered
- email d-ccg.engagementteam@nhs.net
• BBC video content in 5 South Asian languages is now available. Content
includes:
o Lockdown Mental Health Tips,
o Vaccine Scams
o Lockdown rules explained
o Test and trace
o Vaccine explainer
o Vaccine Q&A
o Vaccine myths busting
Text message invitations
• People aged 50 and above are receiving a text from the National Booking
System as 'NHSvaccine' inviting them to book a coronavirus vaccination
appointment at a larger vaccination centre or pharmacy, followed by a letter a
few days later.
• Texts from 'NHSvaccine' are separate to any invites people may get from
local NHS services such as GP surgeries or hospitals.
• The COVID-19 vaccine is free of charge, and the NHS will never ask for:
o bank account or card details
o PIN or banking passwords
o copies of personal documents to prove people's identity such as a
passport, driving licence, bills or pay slips
• Patients can book through the National Booking Service website or phone 119
(free, 7am-11pm, seven days a week) to book an appointment if they are
aged 50 and over or if they have a condition that makes them clinically
extremely vulnerable.
Other important information
• To ensure that nobody is left behind, the NHS is continuing to urge all those in
groups already invited, including clinically extremely vulnerable adults on the
Shielded Patients List and any remaining frontline health and social care
workers, who have not been vaccinated yet to make this week the week that
they come forward.
• If you are over 70 and are housebound and you haven’t had your first dose, it
would be worth contacting your GP practice to enquire about making
arrangements for a vaccination.
• The National Booking Service will only allow second dose booking between
77 and 84 days after the first dose. This is in line with JCVI / Green Book
guidance. Any location offered by the National Booking Service can be
chosen for a second dose.• Some GP practices use an online booking system to manage their
appointments. If you get an invite from your GP in this way, but have already
booked an appointment via the National Booking System at a large
vaccination centre or pharmacy site, it is helpful if you decline the invite from
your GP. Declining via the GP system doesn’t mean your National Booking
System appointment will be cancelled – instead it helps GPs manage demand
and reduces the need for them to get in touch again to follow-up the invitation.
• A new film, launched by the NHS in Devon, highlights the positive
experiences of patients, volunteers and staff across the county's vaccination
centres.
• Anyone who books an appointment via the National Booking System by self-
declaring as a health and care worker will be asked for ID when they attend,
and they will be turned away if they don't have it.
• The NHS has now published a standard procedure to support a consistent
approach to the offer of vaccination to unpaid carers within priority group 6.
• The government has immediately accepted the advice of the independent
experts at the JCVI to prioritise all homeless people and those rough sleeping
for vaccination alongside priority group 6. This will mean we will save more
lives, among those most at risk in society.
• More than 25 million people in the UK have received their first dose of a
COVID-19 vaccine.
• New findings from Public Health England have shown that an estimated
75.8% of 70 to 84 year old blood donors had antibodies against COVID-19 by
early March.
Further information and vaccination data
For more information on vaccination and the health and care response to COVID-19,
click on www.togetherfordevon.uk/priorities/coronavirus-covid-19 or the NHS
website.
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