Covid-19 vaccination programme Brighton and Hove update 2 September 2021

Thousands of COVID vaccines are available over the coming days for 16 and 17 year olds across our communities.

16 and 17 year olds are now eligible for one dose of the COVID vaccine, as part of the continued roll out of the vaccination programme.

To date more than one in two of teenagers in this age group have received their vaccine, and we are calling for anyone who is yet to have it to come forward.

Local vaccination services have been contacting 16 and 17 year olds who are registered with GP practices to invite them for appointments, and some walk in sessions have been taking place.

But, this week many more walk in clinics have been set up for this age group to make it as easy as possible for teenagers to receive their vaccination.

With schools and colleges re-opening next week after the summer, we want as many 16 and 17 year olds to be protected before term starts, and so we encourage anyone who is in this age group and who hasn’t had it yet to come forward this week.

Every day in Brighton, at the former Top Shop store, Churchill Square, BN1 2RG, daily 8.30am to 7.00pm, using the Pfizer vaccine.

More walk in sessions for 16-17 year olds are being confirmed and will be added here.

Children aged 12 to 15 can get vaccinated against COVID-19 if:

• they have a condition that means they’re at high risk from COVID-19
• they live with someone who is more likely to get infections (such as someone who has HIV, has had a transplant or is having certain treatments for cancer, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis)

Conditions that mean your child may be at high risk and can get vaccinated are:

• a severe neurological condition/diagnosis, such as cerebral palsy
• Down’s syndrome
• severe or multiple learning disabilities (or they’re on the learning disability register)
• a condition that means they’re more likely to get infections (such as some genetic conditions or types of cancer)

If your child is eligible for vaccination, you’ll be contacted by a local NHS service such as their GP surgery or a team working on their behalf to arrange their appointments.

Families are now  being contacted to arrange appointments. Please bear with vaccination teams and they will contact families as quickly as possible.

Read more

Want to get your COVID-19 vaccination but don’t have access to transport? We can get you to and from a vaccination service near you for free thanks to our transport scheme.

To book free travel to a vaccination session please book your vaccination appointment or have confirmed plans to attend a walk-in session first. Then call 01444 275008 to speak to a travel coordinator.

The booking service is available between 10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm Monday-Friday.

Nationally the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has provided interim advice that COVID-19 booster vaccinations should be offered in two stages from September.

We have been working on the basis of this information, and been making preparations to identify all of the sites where we will be able to offer vaccinations. This includes GP led vaccination services, vaccination centres, pharmacy led vaccination services and hospital hubs.

We are expecting that there will be further advice from the JCVI over the coming weeks about how the vaccinations should be offered. This includes whether the COVID-19 and flu vaccines can be given at the same time, and which vaccines will be used.

The current advice is that those most at risk from serious disease should be offered a booster first. This includes:

• adults aged 16 years and over who are immunosuppressed;
• those living in residential care homes for older adults;
• all adults aged 70 years or over;
• adults aged 16 years and over who are considered clinically extremely vulnerable;
• frontline health and social care workers

After this group then the following groups should be offered a booster vaccine:

• all adults aged 50 years and over
• adults aged 16-49 years who are in an influenza or COVID-19 at-risk group as outlines in the Green Book
• adult household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals

It is recognised that wherever possible and desirable the seasonal flu vaccine should be offered alongside the third, booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine this year.

We will continue to work to make sure we are ready to roll out these booster vaccinations as quickly as possible, and we will share more on the sites and where boosters will be available from next week.

The latest estimates suggest that 105,900 deaths and 24,088,000 infections have been prevented as a result of the COVID-19 vaccination programme, up to 20 August.

The data released by Public Health England shows the effectiveness of the vaccines in preventing deaths across our communities.

Public Health England (PHE) works closely with the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA), NHS England, and other government, devolved administration and academic partners to monitor the COVID-19 vaccination programme, and how the vaccines are working.

Read the latest report

To date, more than 1.17 million people have received both of their vaccines and now have the highest level of protection.

This means that 92%  of individuals in cohorts 1-9 in Sussex  have received their first dose, and 89% have received their second dose.

The local NHS is reminding everyone that it is never too late – if you are yet to have your first vaccination, book your appointment today or come to one of our walk in sessions.

Read more about the vaccination programme

Much more information about the vaccination programme is available on our website, including details of the services available in each area, latest data, stakeholder briefings, answers to frequently asked questions and links to all the national leaflets and materials.

Thank you for your support in helping to keep our local communities updated and informed about this fast-moving and unprecedented vaccination programme.

> Find more information about the Sussex COVID-19 vaccination programme