Doors remain open for COVID-19 vaccination during bank holiday

Written on 25 May 2022.

Health leaders are urging everyone who is eligible but has not yet had a COVID-19 vaccine to get the jab this bank holiday weekend to protect themselves and those around them.

Our vaccination sites will be open for walk-ins and booked appointments on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 June from 8.30am and 4.00 pm.

Those recently eligible for vaccines include:

• People 75 and older, and those aged 12 years and older who are severely immunosuppressed, who are eligible for a top-up booster appointment six months after their last dose as part of the national Spring Booster programme. 
• Children aged 5-11 not in at-risk groups who are eligible for their first COVID-19 vaccine with a second dose available 12 weeks’ later.

Vaccines remain our best defence against serious illness and hospitalisation from COVID-19. Vaccines help to:

• reduce your risk of getting seriously ill or dying from COVID-19
• reduce your risk of catching or spreading COVID-19
• protect against COVID-19 variants

Howard Martin, Director of Population Health Management and Health Inequalities at NHS Norfolk and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said:

“We thank those who have already come forward and had their vaccination. There is still time to get to your COVID-19 vaccination either by booking an appointment or just simply turning up to one of our sites. Children from the age of five can their vaccination so for more information visit the national site: Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination – NHS (www.nhs.uk) or https://apps.norfolk.gov.uk/WalkIn/

“Our vaccination teams continue to do an amazing job of delivering the vaccination programme, and we hope that more young people and their families will take advantage of the ability to now attend any of our vaccination centres as a walk-in to keep up the momentum of our programme.”

Regular hand washing, wearing a face covering, using sanitiser stations and avoiding crowded spaces are all basic steps of infection prevention and control that we can all take to help stop the spread of germs and viruses.

END

NOTES

• Those who have recently recovered from Covid should still come forward for their vaccination as having had the virus does not give the same levels of protection. Anyone over 18 who has had Covid will need to wait four weeks (28 days) before having any dose of the vaccine, or 12 weeks for those aged 5 to 17 unless (immunosuppressed which is then 4 weeks).
• Downham Market Health Centre (Willows Pharmacy) does not vaccinate children who are aged between 5-11.
• The table of information is specially for the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

Which people aged 12 and over are in the immunosuppressed category?

People aged 12 and over who are immunosuppressed include those who have had or have:

• A blood cancer (such as leukaemia or lymphoma)
• A weakened immune system due to a treatment (such as steroid medicine, biological therapy, chemotherapy or radiotherapy)
• An organ or bone marrow transplant
• A condition that means you have a very high risk of getting infections
• A condition or treatment your specialist advises makes you eligible for an additional dose

Notes on vaccinations for 5-11-year-olds

All 5-11-year-olds will be offered two 10 microgram doses of the Pfizer vaccine; a third of the amount used for adult vaccinations.

Parents and guardians are asked to attend the vaccination centre with their children and are asked to read the patient information available.

An animation is also available to help children know what to expect when they visit our vaccination centres.