COVID-19 Vaccine

Covid-19 vaccination FAQs are available here.

Health teams from across Berkshire West started the successful roll out of the COVID-19 vaccination on 15 December 2020, with thousands of local people having now received their jabs. 

If you've already received your first vaccination at your GP practice or Primary Care Network site (these are listed in the table below) please wait to be contacted about your second jab.
If you had your jab at a Mass Vaccination site, you most likely already have a second dose booked.  

As of 1 March - the Berkshire West vaccination are progressing well - figures below:

The vaccination roll out is going well and GPs across Berkshire West are on target to vaccinate all the people in their priority groups within the timescale set out by the Government.

Some sites in our area were up and running sooner than others and this means they are further ahead in the vaccination of patients in their catchment areas. So, whilst some GPs are now inviting younger people in for their jabs, others that started a bit later are still working through patients in the older age groups.

Over time, we are confident all areas will even out but at the moment, please don’t be worried if you still haven’t had your appointment booked. We will get to you. We guarantee that everyone in Berkshire West who is eligible for a vaccination will be offered one.

Please be patient and please don’t ring the surgery asking where you are in the vaccination booking programme. We are continuing to work our way down the priority group list and will contact you when it’s your turn. The priority group list has been produced nationally using electronic records and sometimes with input from GPs or consultants. Only when patients are extremely clinically vulnerable are we able to consider any possible exceptions to vaccinating people outside of the priority group they fit into. This means people with long standing or complex medical conditions can only be called for a vaccination when we reach their age range in the priority list (please see below).

When you are called for your appointment, please attend at your booked time so we can minimise queues.

In the meantime, if you have had your jab, remember you still are at risk of spreading the virus and must still abide by the current restrictions.

Covid-19 vaccination FAQs are available here.

Since 15 December, the vaccine has been rolled out in a phased approach and delivered at 12 sites across Berkshire West. 

Information about vaccines: For people with a learning disability and autistic people
NHS England and NHS Improvement has published this film about vaccinations for people with a learning disability and autistic people. This was produced following feedback from stakeholders that there was confusion about vaccines amongst people with a learning disability and/or autism. 

Coping with COVID animation
Covid-19 has brought change and uncertainty for everyone. But families who have loved ones with a learning disability and/or who are autistic, are likely to find this period of time even more challenging than most.

As a result of the Government’s coronavirus funding for frontline charities, Respond has produced this video in collaboration with families with lived experience to help other families get through this unprecedented time.

Your GP practice
And remember, your GP surgery is still running all its normal health and care services whilst the vaccination programme progresses. So if you have long term conditions or serious problems like lumps, unexpected bleeding or respiratory problems, you must contact your GP so you get medical treatment. To keep everyone safe and prevent the risk of the virus spreading, please ring or contact your surgeries through their websites and the staff there will talk you through the best course of action  -this could be a face-to-face appointment or a telephone consultation.

If you have an urgent medical issue please visit NHS 111 online of call 111 where you will be assessed over the phone and directed to the right place for care. This may mean an appointment is booked at the Royal Berkshire Hospital’s Emergency Department (A&E) or Minor Injuries Unit, or at Reading’s Walk in Centre.

In an emergency where life is at stake you must ring 999.

*The full list of groups to be prioritised for the vaccination is:

• Residents in a care home for older adults and their carers
• All those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers
• All those 75 years of age and over
• All those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals
• All those 65 years of age and over. All individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality. This also includes carers - those who are 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.
• All those 60 years of age and over
• All those 55 years of age and over
• All those 50 years of age and over

Visit the Gov.UK or NHS website for the most up to date information.

Useful leaflets and information:

• COVID-19 vaccination: women of childbearing age, pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding
• COVID-19 vaccination: guide for older adults
• COVID-19 vaccination: guide for healthcare workers
• COVID-19 vaccination: a guide for social care staff
• COVID-19 vaccination: what to expect after vaccination
• COVID-19 vaccination: why you are being asked to wait