Health chiefs have started a spring campaign to offer covid jabs to thousands of the most vulnerable people across Brighton and Hove.
The focus will be on people aged 75 and over, those with a weakened immune system and older adult care home residents.
The NHS said: “Over a million people to be invited for spring covid jab in the south east as the NHS continues to protect the most vulnerable
“More than a million people will be eligible for a spring covid jab in the south east as the NHS begins to roll out the next phase of its world-renowned covid vaccination programme.
“People aged 75 and over, those with a weakened immune system and older adult care home residents, will be eligible. This follows advice from the Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunisation.
“Care homes have been prioritised with vaccinations taking place from Monday 3 April by roving NHS teams. In the south east, over 2,000 care homes will be visited in total.
“All other eligible groups will be able to book from Wednesday 5 April using the National Booking Service or NHS App, with the first appointments becoming available week commencing Monday 17 April.
“It will be the first time that people will receive their initial invitations through the NHS app, where they can also book, as the NHS continues to expand its technological capabilities.
“Text messages and letters will also be sent to those eligible without the app or who do not actively use it.
“Across the south east, the NHS has administered more than 20 million covid jabs over several vaccination campaigns since the programme went live in December 2020.
“This includes vaccinating over 804,000 people who came forward for their spring covid vaccination last year.”
The NHS England South East director of commissioning, Caroline Reid, is leading the flu and covid vaccination programme.
She said: “As a society, we are learning to live with covid but the virus is still with us and continues to make thousands of people ill every week.
“Protection against covid – either from catching the virus or from a previous vaccination – also fades over time.
“This is why the NHS is offering a further vaccination this spring to those at highest risk of severe illness from the virus.”
She added: “The NHS will write to you if you’re eligible to remind you that you can get the vaccine but bookings can be made at any time from Wednesday 5 April.”
The NHS is advising those invited, or making a booking, to make sure their appointment takes place at least three months after their last dose.
Anyone who believes they should be eligible for a vaccine but does not get invited can check online. Alternatively, they can self-declare via the National Booking Service and then speak to a clinician on site.
The last spring coronavirus vaccination appointments will be offered at the end of June.
And they still persist. Insane.
It is probably not a bad idea for older and vulnerable. But of the rest of us the risk/benefit ration no longer stacks up..
That is correct, although the elders in my family who had the jab have had nothing but health issues thereafter and that’s factual. Any healthy person would be insane to be injected with God knows what.
I’ve seen the same. Would have been better off without any
Science shows the benefits to the lower risk categories in the value of reduced viral shred and improved convalescence, as well as herd immunity benefits and is widely accepted after hundreds of independent academic papers with much scrutiny. I would strongly encourage a more informed-based opinion.
There is a reduced risk to younger people and those without health conditions, this is true, and ultimately every individual will need to assess their own personal circumstances.
Let the cull commence
Yep. That is sadly what it does. Time for people to wake up to the truth.
My wife and I (both elders as so quaintly put above) have had the full range of Covid inoculations including boosters and the flu jabs as well.
Neither of us has suffered any ill effects and hasn’t caught Covid either!
The same applies to our friends and relatives of the same age – I assume that the conspiracy theorists (you don’t know what’s in it) will refuse themselves and their families all inoculations all of the time then…
Vaccines, of all kinds, do have some risks to them, mainly in the form of allergic reactions and rare side effects. However, for the vast majority of people, they are effectual and safe to take.
The COVID vaccine does not completely prevent an infection, however, it has been shown to reduce the severity of an infection, reduce the length of time a person can infect others, and reduce the time it takes to convalesce, as well as providing herd immunity benefits to those around themselves.
People will ultimately need to make a decision based on their own circumstances, and should seek professional advice to help them make that decision.