Questions and Answers

The booking system for the Kingsway hub is not currently open to new bookings, if you still need your first vaccine please use the National booking system or contact the Health Protection Unit on dhcft.hpu@nhs.net ​​​​​​​

Our Kingsway Hospital Hub will continue to offer vaccinations to people within this age bracket if they have an underlying health condition.  This will include people with learning disabilities, severe mental illness and other conditions that put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease.  People attending the Hub to receive the vaccine will be given additional information about this guidance at the point of vaccination.  An updated patient information leaflet is also now available.

If you are aged 18 – 39 and have made an appointment to receive your first vaccine at the Kingsway Hospital Hub, you will be contacted regarding an appointment at an alternative clinic to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.

Unfortunately you will no longer be able to receive the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine if you are aged between 18 – 39 and have no underlying health conditions and are receiving your vaccine as an NHS employee.

If you are aged 18 – 39 and have not yet received your first COVID vaccination, please arrange an appointment to have an alternative vaccine. Links for these clinics are on our vaccination clinics webpage.

If you struggle to make an appointment for either of these clinics, please contact dhcft.hpu@nhs.net ​​​​​​​

No, the arrangements are that you will need to return to the site of your first vaccine to receive your second.  It won’t be possible to change the location to attend a different vaccination hub for your second vaccine.

Yes. Once you have had your vaccination, please complete our vaccination reporting form.

Yes. We prioritised patient-facing staff for the earlier initial doses, so these colleagues (and those who are clinically vulnerable) will naturally reach their 182 days first. Our view is that, when you reach your 182 days, you are eligible – regardless of your role. You will however need to bring your work ID and possibly a recent payslip to confirm your eligibility.

Yes, a four-week gap continues to be recommended from showing the first symptoms of a COVID infection to receiving your booster vaccination

No – colleagues will need to wait 182 days after their second vaccine before they can receive their third. You can remind yourself of your vaccination record and dates in the NHS app under the ‘Your health’ tab.

The easiest way may be to google ‘when is 182 days from…’ a particular date to get the date you will be eligible for your booster jab.

Local vaccination clinics are using the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines.

We are hoping we will soon be able to offer booster vaccines for colleagues from our Hub soon, but would ask colleagues not to wait and make an appointment via the National Booking System when they are ready to receive their next dose. 

This is something we may be able to offer from our Kingsway Hospital Vaccination Hub when the booster doses start to be delivered from the site.  In the meantime, colleagues are likely to receive the two vaccines separately for logistical reasons, although the guidance does now allow the two vaccines to be delivered at the same time.

There is no need to wait for an invitation to book – please go on to the National Booking System as soon as you are eligible. 

COVID-19 vaccines provide high levels of protection against hospitalisation or dying from the virus. To maintain this high level of protection through the coming winter, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is advising that booster vaccines be offered to those more at risk from serious disease, and who were vaccinated during Phase 1 of the vaccine programme (priority groups 1 to 9).  People with severe mental illness (SMI) are in priority group 6 and should be invited to receive a booster vaccination in the coming weeks.

Please use the National booking system. If you have any problems you can seek support from the Health Protection Unit - email dhcft.hpu@nhs.net or call 01332 389150

The JCVI advises that those who have received their first dose of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine should continue to be offered the second dose.

We continue to encourage everyone who received their first vaccination to attend the appointment for their second, no matter what their age is.  

Public Health England has produced a new leaflet for people who have had their first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine and have concerns about having the second dose.

The leaflet, which is also available as a webpage on the gov.uk website, explains why having the second dose is so important. It also points out that the AstraZeneca vaccine causes fewer mild side effects (like headaches and chills) after the second dose. 

The leaflet also addresses the rarer side effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which have been reported in the UK and internationally. It sets out the data showing that these rarer side effects have occurred far less often after the second dose of vaccine. 

If you experienced a severe reaction to your first vaccination (including a new onset of severe or persistent headache, blurred vision, confusion or seizures, shortness of breath, chest pain, leg swelling or persistent abdominal pain, unusual skin bruising or pinpoint round spots beyond the injection site) and have not notified us of this already, please contact our Health Protection Unit  at dhcft.hpu@nhs.net ​​​​​​​

If you are aged 18 – 39 and have not yet received your first COVID vaccination, please arrange using the National booking system.

If you struggle to make an appointment please contact dhcft.covid-vaccination@nhs.net 

Colleagues can still make an appointment for their first COVID vaccine through the National Booking System (where you can book an appointment directly as Health and Social Care staff for first vaccinations).  

It is not currently possible to record this information in the SwiftQueue booking process, as this is a system managed by the different Trusts providing the vaccine clinics. However, we are very interested in knowing more about the reasons why colleagues may choose not to receive a vaccine. If you cannot receive a vaccine at this moment in time and would like to make an appointment at a later date, or have chosen not to receive a vaccine, please email dhcft.hpu@nhs.net ​​​​​​​

There is now an online look-up system for finding your NHS number. You will need your NHS number when you register for an appointment as the vaccination centres can run most efficiently when people know their NHS number. 

• Yes, the Covid-19 vaccines currently in use were approved for use on the basis of each person receiving two doses.
• The first dose causes the body to have an immune response, which protects against Covid-19 but fades over time. The second dose was shown to produce a larger secondary immune response, which takes longer to fade. This is why a second dose is important.

Second appointments will automatically be made for colleagues at the time of making a first vaccination appointment, at whichever of the NHS sites you attend.  

If you do not have a second appointment scheduled or you have had to rearrange due to self-isolation or having tested positive for COVID-19, please contact dhcft.hpu@nhs.net ​​​​​​​

If you have forgotten the date of your second appointment, please do one of the following:

• If you booked at a vaccination clinic using the Swiftqueue booking system, then please log in to Swiftqueue again, where you will be able to view all the details (a link to Swiftqueue will also be in the email confirmation you received at the time of booking your first appointment)
• If you booked at the Kingsway Hospital hub, then please go back on the Trust’s booking system and you will see the details of your second appointment. If you are unable to access the booking system, you can also email dhcft.kingswayhospitalhub@nhs.net

Due to the way in which appointments are allocated, in order to ensure people receive their second vaccine at the right time and also to avoid waste, we would ask all colleagues to keep the date given for their second appointment wherever possible.

If there are exceptional circumstances that mean you cannot attend your second appointment, please contact dhcft.hpu@nhs.net ​​​​​​​ and the team will try to assist in rearranging your appointment.

Colleagues who are due to receive their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine will need to return to the same vaccination site where they received their first dose.  

Unfortunately, it is not possible to change to an alternative venue to receive your second vaccination.  This is because second doses of the vaccine are distributed to vaccination sites based on the appointments that were booked automatically when the first doses were given. Attending a different site can lead to extra work for site staff and increases the risk of wasted vaccine.

There are two exceptions to this guidance:

The first is colleagues who were vaccinated at the Pirelli Stadium in January - please see more details in the 10 March message and on the vaccine information page.

The second is for people aged between 18 and 39 who experienced a severe reaction to your first Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccination (including a new onset of severe or persistent headache, blurred vision, confusion or seizures, shortness of breath, chest pain, leg swelling or persistent abdominal pain, unusual skin bruising or pinpoint round spots beyond the injection site) and have not notified us of this already, please contact our vaccination team at dhcft.covid-vaccination@nhs.net 

Yes – please complete our online COVID vaccination reporting form to record your second COVID vaccination. You will need to be on the Trust network or the remote access service to use this form. Please check the bottom box on the form to say it is your second dose.

• Yes, research is underway to determine the effectiveness of mixing different vaccines, but this is not yet complete.
• If you are concerned because you experienced any side-effects from your first dose, please inform staff when you go for your second dose. A senior clinicians is always available at a vaccination site to consult on such issues, and will be able to advise the most appropriate course of action for you.
• If you are aged between 18 and 39 and experienced a severe reaction to your first Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccination (including a new onset of severe or persistent headache, blurred vision, confusion or seizures, shortness of breath, chest pain, leg swelling or persistent abdominal pain, unusual skin bruising or pinpoint round spots beyond the injection site) and have not notified us of this already, please contact our vaccination team at dhcft.hpu@nhs.net ​​​​​​​

Thank you to all colleagues who have already let us know that they have received their first dose – and, in some cases, their second dose – of the COVID vaccination. We ask colleagues to record this as soon as possible after receiving the vaccination, particularly as the vaccines are being provided by different healthcare providers at different sites across the county. We do receive a notification from a national reporting system when some colleagues have been vaccinated so if this information comes through before you have updated the system, this will be recorded for you.
Please use the vaccination reporting form to let us know you have received your vaccine and if you have experienced any side-effects. You will need to do this after each dose.
 

Wherever possible, we are asking that you use the vaccination reporting form to let us know you have received your vaccine and if you have experienced any side-effects. You will need to be logged on to the Trust network (either at home or at work) to do this.  There will be a small number of people who do not have access to the network.  Line managers can log that their colleagues have been vaccinated in these instances.

No.  People’s medical records will be updated after they have received the vaccine.  You do not need a record card of proof that you have had the vaccine.  Different vaccination sites have adopted a different process in respect of these cards, but the Trust is unable to provide record cards to colleagues whom we have not vaccinated ourselves.
Please remember to let the Trust know when you have received your vaccine, so we also have a record. (You will need to be on the Trust network to do this)
 

This advice will be shared as people make appointments to receive the vaccine. 

Please let us know when you have received a COVID-19 vaccination by using the Trust’s COVID vaccine reporting system. You need to be logged on to the Trust network to access this short, online form.

The Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca partnership vaccine and the Moderna vaccine are available. The Janssen vaccine will be available later this year. They have all been given regulatory approval by the MHRA. 

Read the full statement on the gov.uk website. 

Updated guidance for people aged 18-39 

Whilst blood clots are still extremely rate, the data suggests there is a slightly higher incidence of clots reported in the younger adult age groups following vaccination. 

Given this, the updated guidance for the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine outlines that the vaccine should only be provided to people aged 18 – 39 if they have an underlying health condition.  This is because the risk of blood clots is extremely rare and the benefits of receiving prompt vaccination continue to vastly outweigh any potential risks. 

Information for healthcare professionals and the public about the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has been updated and can be accessed on the gov.uk website.

The vaccine works by making a protein from the virus that is important for creating protection.  The protein works in the same way they do for other vaccines by stimulating the immune system to make antibodies and cells to fight the infection. 

For further information:

• On this page from the British Society of Immunology, you will find infographics to explain how different types of vaccines work, including the Moderna vaccine, the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
• A video of why vaccination is important for health and social care colleagues featuring Dr Nikki Kanani and a video from the NHS chief people office, Prerana Issar 
• You can access a leaflet on COVID-19 vaccination: what to expect after vaccination. Translated copies are available to download and more languages will be available soon.

A detailed review of the vaccines and their ingredients have been provided by the MHRA and can be found at the following links:

• For the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine 
• For the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine 
• For the Moderna vaccine 

The British Islamic Medical Association have produced a helpful guide for the Muslim community which can be found on their website.  
 

There is no evidence currently that the new strains will be resistant to the vaccines we have, so we are continuing to vaccinate people as normal. Scientists are looking now in detail at the characteristics of the virus in relation to the vaccines. Viruses, such as the winter flu virus, often branch into different strains but these small variations rarely render vaccines ineffective.  

Both COVID-19 vaccines have been tested on animals; this is a regulatory requirement of any vaccine released to the public in the UK.  Unlike some other vaccines (e.g. flu), the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines are produced without having to grow the virus in eggs.  The Pfizer/BioNTech does not contain any meat derivatives or porcine products, although a component that is derived from bovine milk (fit for human consumption) is used during the development stage.  For more information please visit the Vegan society site and the British Islamic Medical Association

Like all medicines, vaccines can cause side-effects. Most of these are mild and short-term, and not everyone gets them. Even if you do have symptoms after the first dose, you still need to have the second dose. Very common side-effects include:

• Having a painful, heavy feeling and tenderness in the arm where you had your injection. This tends to be worst around 1-2 days after the vaccine
• Feeling tired
• Headache
• General aches, or mild flu-like symptoms

You can take painkillers, such as paracetamol, if you need to. You can also visit the Coronavirus Yellow Card to report a vaccine side effect.

As with all vaccines, appropriate treatment and care will be available in case of a rare anaphylactic event following administration.

The Public Assessment Reports contain all the scientific information about the trials and information on trial participants: 

• For the Pfizer trial, participants included 9.6% black/African, 26.1% Hispanic/Latino and 3.4% Asian.  
• For the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine 10.1% of trial recipients were Black and 3.5% Asian.

There is no evidence that either of the vaccines will work differently in different ethnic groups. 

For all vaccines trial participants included a range of those from various ages, immune-compromised and those with underlying health conditions, and both found the efficacy of the vaccine translates through all the subgroups. 
Details of trial participants for both vaccines are published online.

• For the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulatory-approval-of-pfizer-biontech-vaccine-for-covid-19 
• For the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulatory-approval-of-covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca
• For the Moderna vaccine information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulatory-approval-of-covid-19-vaccine-moderna

No. There is no material of foetal or animal origin in either vaccine. All ingredients are published in healthcare information on the MHRA’s website. 

• For the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulatory-approval-of-pfizer-biontech-vaccine-for-covid-19 
• For the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulatory-approval-of-covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca 
• For the Moderna vaccine information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulatory-approval-of-covid-19-vaccine-moderna

The only known risk that the vaccine poses is to people who have a history of immediate-onset anaphylaxis (an immediate severe allergic reaction) to multiple classes of drugs, or have a history of unexplained anaphylaxis.

Women who are pregnant should also seek medical advice before getting vaccinated (see the separate question below).

That means the vaccine is considered safe for people with lung conditions like asthma, and for people with diabetes. Here are some national organisations who specialise in these areas and have written about the vaccine:

• Read the information provided by Diabetes UK about the vaccine 
• Read the information provided by the Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation Partnership about the vaccine.   

The best source of up to date advice for anyone who Is pregnant or planning a pregnancy is the healthcare professional who is looking after them. 

In the case of obstetricians and midwives, they have been supporting women to make decisions about vaccination in pregnancy for many months now. The Royal College of Obstetricians and the Royal College of Midwives have jointly produced a leaflet and decision aid.

Anyone who has difficulty booking on-line can call 119 instead. As part of booking, pregnancy status is checked so your are only offered sites who can meet your requirements  

If you are still having problems booking – please contact our Health Protection Unit via email dhcft.hpu@nhs.net to see if they can identify a suitable clinic for you to attend.

If you are pregnant, we will still need to be careful about areas where you work once you are over 28 weeks into your pregnancy.  This is something we will need to discuss and weigh up with you to offer a choice about where you work, which will include the option to work from home.  This will continue to apply even after you have been vaccinated, just to ensure we do all we can to protect you and your baby.

The BBC website now includes a very detailed article about the COVID vaccine and claims surrounding fertility and miscarriage. The article fact-checks three claims currently circulating on social media and finds them all to be false. 

In recent weeks, we have focused several times on the importance of encouraging more pregnant and breastfeeding women to receive their COVID vaccine. A large number of people who are currently in hospital with COVID are pregnant and this is a growing area of concern. 

See the message of 10 August for some of the frequently asked questions about the COVID vaccine as it relates to people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
 

The UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises that there is no known risk in giving the COVID vaccines to breastfeeding women.  Breastfeeding women should therefore be offered vaccination if they are otherwise eligible, for example if they are a frontline health or social care worker, including a carer in a residential home. They should also be advised that there is lack of safety data for these specific vaccinations in breastfeeding.

This risk-based approach is supported by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists – see their website.

The BBC website now includes a very detailed article about the COVID vaccine and claims surrounding fertility and miscarriage. The article fact-checks three claims currently circulating on social media and finds them all to be false. 

In recent weeks, we have focused several times on the importance of encouraging more pregnant and breastfeeding women to receive their COVID vaccine. A large number of people who are currently in hospital with COVID are pregnant and this is a growing area of concern. 

See the message of 10 August for some of the frequently asked questions about the COVID vaccine as it relates to people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

The COVID vaccine has only been in development and use for a relatively short period of time, so it is not possible to know exactly what the long-term impact will be. However there are no ingredients in the vaccine that would suggest it will have an impact on fertility.

Further information is available on this topic from the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, which has issued a statement in response to misinformation around COVID-19 vaccines and fertility that reassures people that there is no evidence to suggest that COVID vaccines will affect fertility.

The MHRA’s advice remains that the benefits of the vaccines against COVID-19 continue to outweigh any risks and that the public should continue to get their vaccine when invited to do so. Read the MHRA’s statement on the gov.uk website.

Updated guidance for people aged 18 – 39 receiving the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine 

Whilst blood clots are still extremely rate, the data suggests there is a slightly higher incidence of clots reported in the younger adult age groups following vaccination. 

Given this, the updated guidance for the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine outlines that the vaccine should only be provided to people aged 18 – 39 if they have an underlying health condition.  This is because the risk of blood clots is extremely rare and the benefits of receiving prompt vaccination continue to vastly outweigh any potential risks. 

COVID vaccines are usually administered into the deltoid muscle. Some depot injections are also injected into the deltoid muscle. Where these are both scheduled within seven days of each other, one should be given into the left deltoid and the other into the right deltoid.  Other than this precaution, a person can receive their vaccine and their depot as planned and neither should be delayed.

Guidance around this matter has changed in recent weeks. 
Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine: People who have a history of immediate-onset anaphylaxis to multiple classes of drugs or unexplained anaphylaxis are currently unable to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.  This does not exclude people with other, less severe allergies, although all allergies should be raised when attending to be vaccinated.  It is not necessary for you to wait for the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine if you have allergies but no history of anaphylaxis.

Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine: Current information suggests that we only need to exclude people who show a systemic allergic reaction to the vaccine itself or to any of the vaccine ingredients. This means at present that it may be suitable for the small number of people who are prevented from receiving the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine because of history of anaphylaxis to multiple classes of drugs or unexplained anaphylaxis.

For more information on the vaccines and allergies go to AllergyUK
 

You do not need to delay your appointment for a COVID-19 vaccination if you are experiencing mild fever or an upper airway infection (such as a cold), although all colleagues are advised to discuss any symptoms they are experiencing when they attend the vaccination centre. 

If you have a severe illness with a high fever please talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before being given the vaccine. This is to avoid confusing the symptoms of any illness with the potential side effects of the vaccine. A high fever in adults is usually considered to be a body temperature of 38C or above and you may also experience symptoms such as shivering (chills), sweating or warm, red skin. You can find more information about fever from the NHS website at High temperature (fever) in adults - NHS (www.nhs.uk).
 

Yes.  We do not currently know how long any immunity people will have from COVID once they have had the virus and there are certainly some examples of people having COVID-19 more than once.  Therefore people who have had COVID-19 will still need to be immunised to provide longer term protection against the virus.  However, you cannot be vaccinated within 28 days of having a positive test result.

No, you should not be vaccinated until you have fully recovered.

Please leave 28 days from the onset of symptoms, or from the date of your positive test.  You will be turned away if you book an appointment to be vaccinated before the 28-day timeframe is completed.  There will be a number of opportunities for people to receive the vaccine over the coming weeks, so please don’t worry that you will be unable to access a vaccine after this time.

Yes, however, if you are seriously debilitated, still under active investigation, or have deteriorated recently, consider postponing the vaccine. 

Yes, you can be vaccinated.

If you’ve had a confirmed case of COVID-19 you should wait until at least four weeks after you had symptoms, or four weeks since your positive test if you didn’t have any symptoms, and until you have recovered from your COVID-19 infection, before having the vaccine. 

Vaccine trials have been focused on people who haven’t been exposed to the virus. However, the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) has said that getting vaccinated is just as important for people who have had COVID-19 as it is for people who haven’t. Therefore it’s advised everyone should get the vaccine when they are invited to do so.

If you have symptoms that could be coronavirus you should get a test and not get your vaccine until your period of self-isolation has ended. Have a look at what to do if you have symptoms of coronavirus.

There is no evidence from clinical trials of any safety concerns in having the vaccine if you have already had COVID-19. This is because it is not known how long antibodies made in response to natural infection persist and whether immunisation could offer more protection. If antibodies have already been made to the disease following natural infection, receiving COVID-19 vaccine would be expected to boost any pre-existing antibodies.

It is the severity of the allergy rather than the type of allergy that will prevent people from having the vaccine.  For example people with severe allergies who carry adrenaline will not be able to have the Pfizer vaccine.

For more information on vaccines and allergies go to AllergyUK

Antibodies from infections are often shorter-lived than the immune response from a vaccine. The advice for COVID-19, as with many other infections, is that you should still be vaccinated so you have more assurance about your level of protection from future illness.

Even if you have antibodies, it is recommended that you are vaccinated.

People infected with COVID-19 in the past are likely to be protected against reinfection for several months, a Public Health England (PHE) study has found, although experts cautioned those with immunity may still be able carry the virus in their nose and throat and therefore have a risk of transmitting to others.

No matter which vaccine you have received, at which site, we do need to capture this information.

Please let us know when you have received a COVID-19 vaccination by using the Trust’s COVID vaccine reporting system. You need to be logged on to the Trust network to access this short, online form.
 

Yes – this will be required so please keep doing the tests and sharing your results in the usual way.  We know that the vaccines do not provide 100% protection against the virus and whilst their effectiveness is high, a lower level of protection is in place until both doses of the vaccines have been received.

The MHRA have said these vaccines are highly effective, but to get full protection people need to come back for the second dose – this is really important.  

Full protection kicks in around a week or two after that second dose, which is why it’s also important that when you do get invited, you act on that and get yourself booked in as soon as possible. Even those who have received a vaccine still need to follow social distancing and other guidance.  
 

Yes, you should be able to work as long as you feel well. If your arm is particularly sore, you may find heavy lifting difficult. If you feel unwell or very tired you should rest and avoid operating machinery or driving. The vaccine cannot give you COVID-19 infection, and two doses will reduce your chance of becoming seriously ill. However, you will need to continue to follow the guidance in your workplace, including wearing the correct personal protection equipment and taking part in any screening programmes.

After both vaccine dose 1 and vaccine dose 2, there will then be at least seven days before the vaccine is at its most effective. We will then review individual health risk assessments to change and update them, to confirm whether a colleague has greater protection and will be able to resume most of their pre-COVID duties. Existing infection control measures such as handwashing and PPE are likely to remain in place for some time to come, even for those who have been fully vaccinated.

No, it is really important that colleagues continue to wear PPE.  All of our infection prevention and control guidance will remain in place for some time yet and colleagues must continue to comply with this, whether they have been vaccinated or not. Nationally, there is also further research being undertaken about whether people will be able to asymptomatically transmit the virus once they have had the COVID vaccine. Until we know more about how vaccination affects COVID spread, and until a larger number of people have been vaccinated, it will be necessary to continue with all of the current infection prevention and control measures.

It is important that we all support patients to understand the importance of receiving both doses of the vaccine if it is to work effectively for them. At present, the plan is that the service that provides the first dose will provide the next dose. We will need to work through the practicalities of how we will do this.

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, medical and scientific professionals have been working to develop a vaccine to help stop the spread of the virus. 

We have all felt the impact of the pandemic, and this has been the most challenging year in NHS history. 

The vaccines have been through the same regulatory approval process as any medicines to ensure they meet strict safety standards and offer high levels of protection. 

The vaccine cannot give you COVID-19 infection, and will reduce your chance of becoming seriously ill. 

Yes. The NHS will not offer any COVID-19 vaccinations to the public until experts have signed off that it is safe to do so. The MHRA, the official UK regulator, has said these vaccines are very safe and highly effective, and we have full confidence in its expert judgement and processes. As with any medicine, vaccines are highly regulated products. There are checks at every stage in the development and manufacturing process, and continued monitoring once it has been authorised and is being used in the wider population.

If you’re a frontline worker in the NHS, you are more likely to be exposed to COVID-19 at work. Getting your COVID-19 vaccination as soon as you can, should protect you and may help to protect your family and those you care for. The COVID-19 vaccine should help reduce the rates of serious illness and save lives and will therefore reduce pressure on the NHS and social care services. 

There is a national consultation underway to explore the issue of compulsory vaccinations for NHS colleagues; updates will be provided to colleagues when more is known.

The flu vaccine does not protect you from COVID-19. As you are eligible for both vaccines you should have them both, but normally separated by at least a week. 

No, the COVID-19 vaccine will not protect you against the flu. If you have been offered a flu vaccine, please try to have this as soon as possible to help protect you, your family and patients from flu this winter.

A patient can ask if the member of staff attending to them is vaccinated, however the staff member is not obligated to share this information with them. There may be personal, religious or clinical reasons and circumstances behind an individual’s decision and this information is protected by the individual’s right to privacy. 

We would expect that, if asked this question, colleagues respond sensitively. Please be aware that the person asking may be worried or concerned about the perceived risk that someone who has not had a vaccine may present. It may be that an impartial third person may helpfully support this conversation.

Colleagues employ a range of infection prevention and control (IPC) measures when delivering personal care. These are specifically designed to manage the risks associated with the spread of infection. Universal IPC measures include important steps such as good hand hygiene and ensuring areas are clean and ventilated, alongside a range of other precautions such as tying back long hair and being bare below the elbow. 

Use of PPE (aprons, gloves, eyewear and surgical face masks) is intended to provide additional safety and further reduce the risk of transmission through airborne droplets and/or any contact with contaminated surfaces they may have landed upon. 

A person’s vaccination status may present a misleading perception of safety; although we do know that transmission is significantly reduced amongst those who are vaccinated, it is not a complete barrier. This is important to bear in mind, and it is why we have to continue with measures like lateral flow testing.
 

An individual staff member’s vaccination status is private information. However, the IPC guidelines cover a wide range of interventions and actions to prevent the potential transmission of the disease. All staff are expected to follow these robustly and this includes hand hygiene, use of PPE and face masks as these are the evidence-based ways that we significantly reduce transmission of COVID.

If someone is expressing concern about their safety regarding the vaccine status of a staff member, a conversation to explore perception and understanding of risks and to agree a way forward would need to be undertaken. We would not want this to be a barrier to care and treatment, particularly if delay or disruption to treatment and care presented an increased risk of deterioration or relapse.

We are now clear that being vaccinated can reduce the spread of COVID and, even though the evidence is still emerging, it appears to be a significant reduction. It is also becoming increasingly clear that the vaccine is likely to reduce the seriousness of symptoms in the person who has been vaccinated. We would expect however that continued use of IPC and PPE to a high standard would maintain barrier protection against the virus and any potential transmission, to enable overall numbers and prevalence of the disease to reduce.
 

Whilst restraint carries some additional risk due to the unpredictable nature of the need for intervention, all staff will be wearing PPE and are practising in environments where ventilation and enhanced cleaning is in place, alongside regular and routine hand hygiene and staff testing. 

A very high percentage of staff who work in any of our clinical environments have been vaccinated and, alongside the other measures described, this provides a high level of confidence in the safety of the service we provide. All staff are trained in IPC and PPE usage to minimise the risk of infection to patients, including those who may have to be briefly restrained for their safety and protection.
 

It is not possible for us to confirm the vaccination status of colleagues and currently the Trust tries to match the best qualified people to attend the clinical needs of the patient. Vaccination status is part of an individual’s personal health information and cannot be shared without consent.

However, all staff members are required to use evidence-based processes that are known to minimise the risk of infection. This includes good hand hygiene, use of PPE, cleaning of equipment, maintaining clutter-free environments and well-ventilated spaces.

Although vaccination reduces the risk of the virus being transmitted, it may not prevent the spread of novel virus strains and therefore cannot be used as the sole ‘safety indicator’ until there is more evidence and until we experience significantly reduced national transmission rates. All Trust staff have access to and are expected to demonstrate high standards of PPE/IPC awareness. If there are any concerns regarding the use of these measures, these should be highlighted so we can address any practice learning required to assure you that your safety is our highest priority.
 

All NHS staff are being asked to discuss the benefits of the COVID vaccination with their patients and service users. There is now a lot of research showing that the vaccines are not only safe, but very effective. They significantly reduce the chances of people getting seriously ill if they catch COVID-19. 

Our Trust colleagues want to make sure you get vaccinated because they care about your health. This is the same reason why they may ask you to wash your hands, or wear a face mask, or practise social distancing. Every action counts in terms of protecting you from getting ill. We have a duty of care to you and this means we have to keep informing you of the evidence and, in some cases, taking action to reduce your risk.