Do not use a rapid lateral flow tests if you have symptoms as they are unreliable in this situation. A PCR test should be done if you have any of the symptoms above, or if you suspect you may have COVID-19 infection - this applies to both adults and children.

You may arrange a PCR test locally or arrange for a test kit to be sent to you at home by phoning 119 or follow the link COVID-19 testing.

Booster COVID-19 vaccinations

Do I need a second vaccine dose?

If you have already received the first dose of the vaccine without suffering any serious side effects you should complete the course. The current guidance is that the second dose should be the same type of vaccine as the first dose. Whenever possible patients should attend the same vaccination venue for both doses to ensure that the same vaccine is available and the second dose is administered at the correct time. This includes people aged under 30 years old. Although the first dose of the vaccine will have given you some protection, particularly against severe disease, having the second dose will give you higher and longer lasting protection against catching COVID-19infection or developing complications.

The new advice regarding the AZ vaccine only applies to the first dose. If you are aged under 30 and have already received the AZ vaccine as your first dose you should have the second dose as planned, at the correct time interval, using the same vaccines as your first dose. This currently includes people aged 18 to 29 years who are health and social care workers, unpaid carers and family members of those who are immunosuppressed. 

There are some circumstances where it clearly may not be possible for the patient to attend the same site (e.g. they have moved home or, in between the first and second dose, they have moved to a new GP practice which is not part of the PCN grouping that administered the first dose.) In these circumstances, it would be appropriate for the new provider to administer the second dose. 

Trials are underway to assess if flexibility, i.e. providing the AZ vaccine to those who had the Pfizer vaccine initially and vice versa, offers the same, or even enhanced, protection but it will be some time until results are available and until further information is available the advice is clear - the second dose should be the same vaccine as the first. 

Details of how to book a vaccination appointment are contained in the text message, or will be explained in phone calls or letters to patients. When booking through the  National Booking Service you will be given appointments for both your first and second vaccine doses. You will be asked your 10 digit NHS number, contained in your invitation letter if you have received one, but you can still book an appointment if you do not know your NHS number.  

When I’ve have the vaccine can I stop taking precautions?

No. The vaccines provide a high degree of protection, between 70-94% after the second dose. This means that although you can still catch COVID-19, if you do, the illness should be less severe and the likelihood of you needing hospital treatment should be less. Because of this, and because you may still be able to pass on the infection to others even if you have had the vaccine, it is very important that you continue with all the usual precautions to prevent infection - social distance, face mask and hand

What protection does the first dose of vaccine provide?

On December 31, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation decided that vaccinating a greater number of people with a single dose would prevent more deaths and hospitalisations than vaccinating a smaller number of people with two doses. It states the efficacy for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against symptomatic COVID-19 following the first dose is 89% from day 14 after the vaccination is administered.

It also found that the level of protection after a single dose of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine is 73% after 22 days following the first dose.

When is the second dose of vaccine?

Second doses should be offered within 12 weeks of the first, but because of concerns about the Indian variant people over 50 and those with severe underlying health conditions which put them at high risk will now receive their second dose eight weeks later. 

The trials for the Pfizer vaccine recommended an initial interval of 3 weeks between doses. For most vaccines the interval between doses is longer, as this has been shown to achieve the maximum and more prolonged immune response. The short interval for the COVID-19 vaccine may be the result of the speed required to develop and test an effective vaccine. We know the first dose provides high levels of protection after 3 weeks, and that this protection is boosted and prolonged by having a second dose, but the timing of the second dose is still being debated. After reviewing the available evidence, the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation have concluded that given the high level of protection afforded by the first dose the benefits of vaccinating as many people as possible with a single dose is greater than vaccinating few people with two doses within a three weeks. Prolonging the interval means there is more vaccine available, enabling more people to receive the vaccine as quickly as possible and therefore help prevent more deaths and hospitalisations. The guidance is that the second dose of all the available vaccines should be given between 11 and 12 weeks.

The current guidance is that the second dose should be the same type of vaccine as the first dose. If you have already received the first dose of the vaccine without suffering any serious side effects you should complete the course. This includes people aged under 30 years old.

Use in Pregnancy and Fertility fears

There is no evidence that any of the COVID-19 vaccines currently available cause any problems with fertility. The COVID-19 vaccines, though still relatively new, are based on well tested techniques for developing vaccines which have been shown to be safe in pregnancy and have no adverse effects on fertility. They do not contain live, replicating vaccine and in common with other vaccines of this type they are felt to be safe.

No medication taken during pregnancy can be guaranteed to be without risk, but with regard to the vaccine, any risk should be balanced against the risks of COVID-19 infection, particularly if people are highly vulnerable. 

The Scientific Advisory Commission on Nutrition and the health watchdog, NICE, have done a review of the evidence. Vitamin D, the 'sunshine vitamin' is produced in the skin when exposed to sunlight, and normally most people spend enough time outdoors to keep their vitamin D levels topped up. During the pandemic more have been staying indoors resulting in a reduction in vitamin D levels. Before the pandemic, people in the UK were already advised to consider taking supplements from October to March, but this should be extended to all year round if sun exposure is reduce, either by staying indoors, or covering up the skin with clothes, or possibly in people with darker skin as the amount of vitamin D the body makes may also be reduced.