New groups eligible for Covid-19 vaccine

The next phase of Covid-19 vaccination gets underway in Liverpool this week, with the following priority groups now eligible:

• People aged 65 and over
• People aged 16 to 64 with underlying health conditions
• People in receipt of a carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill

In the coming days, people aged 65 and over will receive a letter from the national NHS Covid-19 Vaccination Booking Service. They can use the link or phone number in this letter to book an appointment at a number of sites, including one of three Liverpool pharmacies, or the mass vaccination centre in St Helens.

Alternatively, if people aged 65 and over don’t wish to take up this option, they can also receive their vaccination at one of the 14 GP-led sites across Liverpool – people will be sent a text message or contacted by phone to let them know how to arrange this. They should not contact their own GP practice separately.

People aged 16-64 with underlying health conditions, and carers, will be contacted by their GP-led service (either by text message or phone) to invite them to make an appointment. They do not need to contact their own GP practice separately.

All vaccinations are by appointment only; no drop-in vaccinations are available and members of the public who arrive without a booking will not be vaccinated.

People over 70 and those who are clinically extremely vulnerable (shielding) were in the first four groups prioritised for vaccination. The majority of people in Liverpool within these groups have already received a first dose of the vaccine, however anyone who hasn’t should use the national booking system – or contact their GP practice – to arrange a vaccination as soon as possible.

The NHS is prioritising vaccinating those people who experts have agreed will benefit from it the most first, based on national guidelines from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The full guidance is available here.

The GP-led vaccination centres and regional vaccination centres are in addition to hospital hub sites, run by NHS trusts, which are currently focused on vaccinating the local health and social care workforce.