COVID Information

27th Apr 2023

Spring Boosters 2023

We are now booking patients for Spring Boosters:

Please call the surgery to book an appointment.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/most-vulnerable-to-be-offered-spring-covid-19-booster?fbclid=IwAR2m3yJtcty1hulVdYY9u-6n0Akuky2hcdUTjbuHBJS1gLks9tk23rPcBlM

4th Nov 2022

Missing or incorrect COVID-19 vaccination data on your NHS app or on your GP record

If you believe you have missing or incorrect COVID-19 vaccination data on your NHS app or on your GP record, please call 119 and ask the agent to make a referral to the Vaccine Data Resolution Service (VDRS). YOUR SURGERY CAN NOT AMEND YOUR COVID VACCINATION RECORD.

The service has been set up to resolve missing or incorrect vaccination records for people vaccinated in England who have a current NHS number and are registered with a GP practice in England. The VDRS team will call you back within five working days to discuss your records. However, please note 119 and VDRS call agents do not provide clinical advice and cannot help at this time with queries related to vaccinations received overseas.

If your query relates to personal information which is incorrect on the patient record (e.g. name, address), please email/call the practice and will be happy to help

4th Nov 2022

COVID Vaccination update:

Who is being offered an autumn booster?

COVID-19 is more serious in older people and in people with certain underlying health conditions.

This winter it is expected that many respiratory infections, including COVID-19 and flu may be circulating at high levels – this may put increasing pressure on hospitals and other health care services. For these reasons, people aged 50 years and over, those in care homes, and those aged 5 years and over in clinical risk groups are being offered an autumn booster of COVID-19 vaccine.

A booster will also be offered to front-line health and social care staff, those who care for vulnerable individuals and families of individuals with weakened immune systems.

The autumn booster is being offered to those at high risk of the complications of COVID-19 infection, who may have not been boosted for a few months. As the number of COVID-19 infections increases over the winter, this booster should help to reduce your risk of being admitted to hospital with COVID-19.

The booster may also provide some protection against mild Omicron infection but such protection does not last for long.

Call 119 to book an appointment or online

30th Mar 2022

NHS COVID Pass/Recovery Certificate/Exemption

A large number of people have been calling us with queries about Covid vaccination status, vaccine exemption certificates and Covid recovery certificates.

We unfortunately can’t assist with any queries about these and ask that patients follow the guidance at the link below:

Covid recovery certificates: to the best of our knowledge these are only available for English residents

Covid vaccination record

Please also be advised that the surgery does not provide recovery letters for travel. If you have tested positive and are using the NHS App, your COVID passport will not be available for at least 14 days post the date you were confirmed as having a positive test result. Once the 14 days have passed your COVID pass should become available again for you to download.

NHS COVID Pass

Anybody needing to demonstrate your COVID 19 status, will need to get a NHS COVID Pass letter. This is not a document which the surgery can provide. Please call 119 and option 3 or click here to apply online

Covid Pass Medical Exemption

Phone the NHS COVID Pass service on 119 to ask for an NHS COVID Pass medical exemptions application form.

You can also call to find out more information about COVID Pass medical exemptions.

The call handler at the NHS COVID Pass service will ask you some questions. You will need to give:

your name
your date of birth
your NHS number (if you know it)
the name of your GP and/or specialist clinician

If you’re eligible to apply, you’ll get an application form by post.

You should not ask your GP for an application form. If you do go to your GP before you get your application form you’ll be asked to call the NHS COVID pass service on 119.

Return your application form to the GP or relevant clinician stated on the form. Your application will be clinically reviewed by your doctor, specialist or midwife. Your GP, specialist or midwife may ask to speak with you if needed, but you won’t need to book this when you submit your application.
You’ll automatically get the results of your application by post 2 to 3 weeks after applying. You don’t need to contact your GP or the clinician reviewing your exemption unless they ask you to contact them.

All calls asking for advice about the above prevent us from helping people with urgent health concerns quickly. Thank you as ever for your support with this request.

2nd Mar 2022

Covid vaccination records errors

The NHS is encouraging people registered with a GP practice in England to check that their vaccination records are up to date. If a member of the public had their vaccinations in England but there is an error on their record, or they have an incomplete record, they should call 119 and ask to be referred to the VDRS.

Over 16s who have had one or more COVID-19 vaccinations abroad that are approved by the World Health Organisation can book an appointment at a vaccination site to show evidence of their vaccinations and request an update to their record. Anyone intending to use their NHS COVID Pass to travel should check their pass status before booking and call 119 if their record isn’t showing correctly. Queries relating to incorrect personal information on a patient record will still need to be resolved by their GP practice.

1st Feb 2022

COVID 19 VACCINATION PROGRAM UPDATE:

5-11yr olds who are in a clinically at risk group, immunosuppressed and living with a household member who is immunosuppressed – we will be running clinics for these patients at the Leys Health Centre and will be sending invites out in the coming weeks. If you think your child is eligible but don’t receive any text invites or a phone call from the practice by the 4th February please ring the practice. They will be offered 2 doses 8 weeks apart.

12-15yr olds (not in a clinically at risk group) – offered 2 doses 12 weeks apart. Providing via the schools immunisation service or can attend walk-in clinics or book via the national booking service. (Nearest site is Kassam Stadium)

Link to walk in site info: https://www.nhs.uk/.../find-a-walk-in-coronavirus-covid.../

National Booking service: https://www.nhs.uk/.../coro.../book-coronavirus-vaccination/

12-15yr olds in clinical at risk group or living with household member who is severely immunosuppressed – offered 2 doses 8 weeks apart and then a booster dose at 3months. Bookable as per 12-15yr olds above BUT 2nd dose can only be booked from 8 weeks – therefore can attend walk-in from 8 weeks with evidence of health condition. Likewise for the booster.

12-15yr olds severely immunosuppressed – as per the clinical at risk group but with additional 3rd primary dose 8 weeks after 2nd dose. Then Booster 3 months after that. Can attend walk-in site with proof of health condition/treatment causing immunosuppressed.

16-17yr olds – all eligible for 1st and 2nd doses and booster – if not in a clinical at risk group needs 12 weeks between 1st and 2nd dose and 12 weeks again between 2nd dose and booster. If in clinical at risk group, living with immunosuppressed or severely immunosuppressed themselves then should have 8 weeks between 1st and 2nd dose and then 12 weeks between 2nd dose and booster. If severely immunosuppressed they are also entitled to a 3rd primary dose 8 weeks after their 2nd doses and then a booster 12 weeks after that. Booking is as per the 12-15yr olds above (again needing to provide evidence if in at risk group or immunosuppressed). We can also vaccinate this age group at our PCN site so please contact the surgery if you would like to be booked at the Leys Health Centre.

Adults – all entitled to 2 doses 8 weeks apart (can be longer so if you have missed your 2nd dose for any reason it is never too late to have it). Booster dose from 12 weeks after 2nd dose. Severely immunosuppressed patients are also entitled to a 3rd dose from 8 weeks after their 2nd dose. If you are immunosuppressed and have had your 3rd dose you are also entitled to a booster from 12 weeks after your 3rd dose. All adults can book in the PCN clinics run at the Leys Health Centre – either respond and book through the text invite you may have received or ring the surgery to book. You can also book via the national booking service: https://www.nhs.uk/.../coro.../book-coronavirus-vaccination/ to have your vaccine at multiple sites including the Kassam Stadium. You can also attend one of the walk in sites listed here: https://www.nhs.uk/.../find-a-walk-in-coronavirus-covid.../

14th Dec 2021

COVID-19 Boosters

In line with the government’s request for the NHS to offer COVID boosters to all eligible adults before the end of 2021 , we will be prioritising our workload to assist with this. Before contacting us at the time, please consider whether your request is urgent.

We are working hard to increase our COVID 19 booster capacity this week.

Dates to follow

8th Dec 2021

COVID 19 MEDICAL EXEMPTIONS

further in formation can be found here:

COVID-19 medical exemptions: proving you are unable to get vaccinated - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

8th Dec 2021

Booster update

Urgent work is ongoing to fully understand how the Omicron variant may change the behaviour of the virus with regards to vaccines and transmissibility. We will update you whenwe have more information.

Vaccines continue to remain the best line of defence. The Government has good reason to remain confident that our current vaccines will provide protection against the new variant butthe extent of this continues to be investigated.

All adults who have not yet received their first or second dose of the vaccine, or those who are eligible for their booster are encouraged to come forward to help protect themselves andothers. This can be done through the national booking service.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) now advises:

• All adults aged 18 to 39 years should be offered a booster dose, in order of descending age groups, to increase their levels of protection.

• Booster doses should be given no sooner than three months after the primary course.

• All severely immunosuppressed individuals should be offered their booster dose no sooner than three months after completing their primary course of 3 doses.

• Young people aged 12 to 15 years should receive a second dose of the PfizerBioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, no sooner than 12 weeks after their first dose.

The booster will be offered in order of descending age groups, with priority given to the vaccination of older adults and those in a COVID-19 at-risk group. This will accelerate the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines and raise levels of protection across the population.

The NHS is working on the plans to offer the booster to the new groups above. But please note that this is not available yet. We will update you as the service develops but please remember the NHS will contact you when it is your turn.

Please do not ring the GP practice.

8th Dec 2021

Missing or incorrect COVID-19 vaccination data on your NHS app or on your GP record

If you believe you have missing or incorrect COVID-19 vaccination data on your NHS app or on your GP record, please call 119 and ask the agent to make a referral to the Vaccine Data Resolution Service (VDRS).

The service has been set up to resolve missing or incorrect vaccination records for people vaccinated in England who have a current NHS number and are registered with a GP practice in England. The VDRS team will call you back within five working days to discuss your records. However, please note 119 and VDRS call agents do not provide clinical advice and cannot help at this time with queries related to vaccinations received overseas.

If your query relates to personal information which is incorrect on the patient record (e.g. name, address), please email/call the practice and will be happy to help

29th Sep 2021

Booster vaccinations information

“The NHS in Oxfordshire has started delivering COVID booster jabs to people in eligible groups. You will be contacted about your booster vaccination when six clear months have passed since your second COVID vaccination"

Patients groups eligible for the booster include:

• people living in residential care homes for older adults

• all adults aged 50 years or over

• frontline health and social care workers

• all those aged 16 to 49 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19, and adult carers

• adult household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals

You may be offered the vaccine at your local GP-led vaccination site in the same way you had your previous vaccine, and/or be contacted by the NHS to go through the national COVID-19 vaccination booking service. You don’t need to get in touch with us about your booster jab. You will be contacted by the NHS when it’s your turn.

Your booster will be a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for the booster programme, regardless of which vaccine you received before. This follows data which indicates the Pfizer vaccine is well tolerated as a third dose and provides a strong booster response. Meanwhile, Oxfordshire primary care teams will vaccinate care home staff and residents. Frontline health and social care staff will be directed to book their appointments through their employers if they work at Oxford University Hospitals NHS FT or Oxford Health NHS FT. Other staff will need to go through the national booking service

For information about vaccinations for children aged 12 -15 please go to Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group website or Oxford Health NHS FT website

14th Sep 2021

The COVID-19 vaccination programme is open. There are currently two vaccines being used locally in Oxfordshire:

• Pfizer/BioNTech

• Oxford/AstraZeneca 2

The vaccines are allocated nationally and local centres do not have any influence over which they receive. You cannot choose which vaccine you have. When you book, you'll only be offered appointments for vaccines that are suitable for you.

Most people can have any of the COVID-19 vaccines, but some people are only offered certain vaccines. For example, if you're pregnant or under 40 you'll usually only be offered appointments for the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines.

You should have the same vaccine for both doses, unless you had serious side effects (such as a serious allergic reaction) after your 1st dose. These are very rare reactions and if affected, you will be informed by your GP or hospital clinician, that a different vaccine is

necessary for your second dose.

Minor side effects after having any of the vaccinations are common and not a cause for concern. These are usually mild and should not last longer than a week, such as:

• a sore arm from the injection

• feeling tired

• a headache

• feeling achy

• feeling or being sick

12th Jul 2021

COVID Vaccination Walk-in clinic's

The NHS in Oxfordshire will be holding walk-in clinics for people aged 18 and over to have their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. The dates are:

Walk-in clinic dates

Monday 12 July 2021