We are delighted to have started our COVID19 Vaccination Clinics.

GPs have been asked to provide vaccines for those aged 80 and over, moving on to those aged 75 – 79 and then those who are shielding. 

 

Baronscourt Surgery has vaccinated all those aged 80 and over, those aged 75-79 and shielded patients.

If you are in the group aged 75 and over and have NOT yet had your vaccine, please contact us as soon as possible. 

 

You can find out more about the priority groups by clicking here. 

All other groups will be offered appointments via Health Board run services by letter, starting with the under 65 year old patients at risk.

 

The delivery of the vaccine is in small batches and we are not certain when these will arrive. As soon as we have supplies of vaccine our team will contact you to arrange an appointment. 

There is no need for you to contact the practice as we will be in touch with those eligible.  If you have any questions about the COVID Vaccine, please visit NHS Inform by clicking here, or call the national helpline 0800 030 8013 which is open from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.

We understand that there is concern that some people have not yet been invited for vaccination either at the practice or at home.

You may also be concerned that someone you know in a lower priority group has been invited to be vaccinated at a mass vaccination centre ahead of your own vaccination appointment.

Invitations to mass vaccination centres are being administered nationally and are separate the GP programme.  Those letters can be sent out quite far ahead of appointments.  Our contact with you will be much closer to the date of  your appointment.

However, we can assure you we are vaccinating as fast as vaccine supplies allow and everyone eligible for vaccination here will be invited to attend.

We are very grateful for your patience while you wait your turn.  

 

If you think you have been missed being invited for covid vaccination, please go to the NHS Inform website, link below.  There is an online form you can complete.

https://www.nhsinform.scot/covid-19-vaccine/invitations-and-appointments/missing-appointment-details

 

If you are an unpaid carer, you can get information about registering for a vaccine here:

https://www.nhslothian.scot/Coronavirus/Vaccine/Pages/UnpaidCarers.aspx

 

There has been a series of videos developed in different languages to provide information about the COVID vaccination and clarify some myths and misconceptions about COVID Vaccines. These videos are in: English, Bengali, Romanian, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Urdu, Polish, Swahili and BSL.

 Click the link below to access all the videos:

‘What you need to know about COVID vaccination’

 

The Astra Zeneca vaccine The MHRA is carrying out a detailed review of reports of a very rare blood clotting problem affecting a small number of people who have had the AstraZeneca vaccine. For people under 30 without other health conditions, it's currently advised that it's preferable to have another coronavirus vaccine instead of the AstraZeneca vaccine. In line with this, Health Boards should now offer those under 30 years of age without underlying health conditions an alternative to the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine – currently either Moderna or Pfizer BioNTech. The JCVI has also said that people may make an informed choice to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine to receive earlier protection when an alternative vaccine is not available. The important thing to remember is that the risk of a blood clot following vaccination is incredibly small - about four people in a million or one in 250,000. By contrast, COVID-19 kills one in eight people who are infected over the age of 75, and one in 1,000 infected in their 40s among those who develop symptoms. Everyone who has received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine should receive their second dose as this gives greater and longer lasting protection against the virus. This is with the exception of the very few individuals who have had a blood clot with low platelet counts after their first injection, or an allergic reaction. The MHRA statement is available here The JCVI statement is available here

Patients who have concerns about symptoms after vaccine should access healthcare in the usual way.

https://www.nhsinform.scot/covid-19-vaccine/the-vaccines/side-effects-of-the-coronavirus-vaccines