Coronavirus
Spring boosters
You can use this service to book a spring booster if you or your child are either:
People are advised to wait 6 months since their previous dose to get maximum protection from a spring booster.
You'll usually be contacted by the NHS, inviting you to book when it's due.
The appointment dates you'll be offered start from 3 months (91 days) after your previous dose, but booking an appointment around 6 months after your previous dose is preferable.
https://www.cheshireccg.nhs.uk/news/news-stories/covid-19-vaccination-programme-what-you-need-to-know/
An Update from the Partners
Things are moving very quickly in relation to the predicted surge of the Omicron variant and we want to share with you as much information as possible. We are now in a position where the government has declared a Level 4 National Incident.
In view of this there are two updates. The first regarding the position following the Prime Ministers speech, and what that means for access to General Practice, the second an update regarding booking COVID boosters.
- Following guidance from the PM’s speech and NHS England we are being asked to pause routine and non-urgent care to redeploy staff to support the delivery of COVID-19 vaccinations. All General practice teams have been asked to clinically prioritise services and to deliver only urgent or emergency care and other critical services such as cancer care.
- Although this announcement has been made there has been very little specific guidance issued about what this means in practice
- The aim of this central advice is to allow Primary Care Teams to concentrate on urgent care in the very short term, alongside delivering the vaccine programme. It is important that if you feel your need is urgent that you continue to contact us. Please do not attend Accident and Emergency because you feel you cannot contact us. If you have any symptoms which you are concerned about, which you feel may be related to cancer please continue to contact us.
- If you have any doubt, please contact us and we can offer advice about whether your problem can safely wait.
- This is not a position we would choose to be in. However, it is very clear that we are now in a national emergency situation. We want to fully play our part in contributing to the ongoing delivery of the COVID booster campaign, alongside continuing to provide safe and effective care to our patient population. As always thank you for your patience and understanding at this extremely busy time.
With regard to the COVID booster programme.
- We will be putting on 2 additional clinics in the week between Christmas and New Year and Saturday 8th Jan 2022 as long as we continue to receive an adequate supply of vaccine.
- All boosters will be either Pfizer or Moderna – we will have no choice and will only be able to offer whichever vaccine has been delivered for that clinic
- At this time we are not able to offer walk in vaccinations. We have to carefully match the stock supply with invitations. PLEASE DO NOT TURN UP WITHOUT AN APPOINTMENT.
If you have a question about the booster vaccination, please refer to the link below. Please do not send a query via econsult.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/coronavirus-booster-vaccine/
Please remember that there is always the option of booking on the national booking site to take up the offer of a booster at other sites including community pharmacy. This is a real team effort across the system.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/
This is a challenging time for everyone and as always, we are very grateful for all the support, understanding and kindness shown to our team.
Due to Covid-19, the practices here at The Elms Medical Practice have had to make changes to the way we work to keep both our patients and our staff safe.
We have created this page to keep you informed of these changes and provide information about the wider response to Covid-19, including the latest news and NHS advice.
You can check the latest information from the NHS by clicking HERE
"Dear Patient,
Throughout the pandemic we have strived to make the practice as safe as possible to our patients and staff. We will continue to do so going forward, and from the 19th July nothing will change at The Elms Medical Practice.
Patients will still need to wear a mask, socially distance and use hand sanitiser when at the practice and patient facing staff will continue to wear PPE.
We do understand that it can be frustrating but we know that when patients come to us they may be sick and vulnerable, and some cannot receive the COVID vaccine due to medical reasons, so we feel it would be wrong to not continue with these small precautions that can help to protect the patients and staff at The Elms Medical Practice.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation."
Who can get a 3rd dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
A 3rd dose of a COVID-19 vaccine is being offered to people aged 12 and over who had a weakened immune system when they had their first 2 doses.
This includes people who 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 a 3rd dose
When to get your 3rd dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
You'll usually be offered a 3rd dose at least 8 weeks after you had your 2nd dose.
Your doctor may suggest a different time depending on if you have any ongoing or planned treatment that affects your immune system.
If you think you're eligible for a 3rd dose but have not been contacted, the Practice.
How to get your 3rd dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
Book in with The Practice on 01244 351000
Booster dose of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine
A booster dose of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine helps improve the protection you have from your first 2 doses of the vaccine.
It helps give you longer-term protection against getting seriously ill from COVID-19.
Who can get a COVID-19 booster dose
You can get a booster dose if you had a 2nd dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at least 3 months ago and:
- you are aged 18 or over
- you are aged 16 or over with a health condition that puts you at high risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19
- you are a frontline health or social care worker
- you live or work in a care home
- you are aged 16 or over and are a main carer for someone at high risk from COVID-19
- you are aged 16 or over and live with someone who has a weakened immune system (such as someone who has HIV, has had a transplant or is having certain treatments for cancer, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis)
- People who are pregnant and in 1 of the eligible groups can also get a booster dose.
COVID-19 Information for Patients
COVID-19 Vaccination Abroad
At the moment vaccines administered overseas cannot be recorded in the UK National system which is the system used to show your vaccination status in the NHS App. Therefore the ability to show any “overseas” Vaccination Certificate and request a Vaccination Passport is not currently available from the NHS. This issue is being worked on at a national level and an update is expected shortly. Any queries regarding this issue need to be directed to NHS 119 or to NHS App support rather than the GP practice: https://www.nhs.uk/contact-us/nhs-app-contact-us/. If people cannot access online services, and they are due to travel abroad in the near future, they can call 119 to request a letter that will provide evidence of their vaccination status. The NHS Vaccine Resolution Centre has now gone live for those who had COVID vaccinations abroad. This is accessible through 119.
Supporting your Recovery post COVID-19
Please follow this link for information on supporting post COVID recovery.
https://www.yourcovidrecovery.nhs.uk/
Latest guidance on isolation for Covid positive house holds
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection
The NHS will not offer any Covid-19 vaccinations to the public until independent experts have signed off that it is safe to do so.
The MHRA, the official UK regulator, have said that these vaccines have good safety profiles and offer a high level of protection, and we have full confidence in their expert judgement and processes.
As with any medicine, vaccines are highly regulated products. There are checks at every stage in the development and manufacturing process, and continued monitoring once it has been authorised and is being used in the wider population.
IS THERE ANYONE WHO SHOULD NOT HAVE THE VACCINE?
ARE THERE ANY KNOWN OR ANTICIPATED SIDE EFFECTS?
Like all medicines, vaccines can cause side effects. Most of these are mild and short-term, and not everyone gets them. Even if you do have symptoms after the first dose, you still need to have the second dose.
Very common side effects include:
- Having a painful, heavy feeling and tenderness in the arm where you had your injection. This tends to be worst around 1 to 2 days after the vaccine
- Feeling tired
- Headache
- General aches, or mild flu like symptoms
Although feeling feverish is not uncommon for 2 to 3 days following the vaccination, a high temperature is unusual and may indicate you have COVID-19 or another infection.
An uncommon side effect is swelling of the glands. You can rest and take the normal dose of paracetamol (follow the advice in the packaging) to help make you feel better.
These symptoms normally last less than a week. If your symptoms seem to get worse or if you are concerned, call NHS 111. If you do seek advice from a doctor or nurse, make sure you tell them about your vaccination and show them your vaccination card so that they can assess you properly.
I'M CURRENTLY ILL WITH COVID-19, CAN I GET THE VACCINE?
If you are currently unwell and experiencing Covid-19 symptoms, you should not get the Covid-19 vaccine until you are recovered.
If you need to cancel your vaccination appointment, please contact the Practice.
WHAT PROTECTION WILL THE VACCINE GIVE ME?
The Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines have been shown to reduce the chance of you suffering from Covid-19. Each vaccine has been tested in more than 20,000 people in several different countries and shown to be safe.
It takes a few weeks for your body to build up protection from the vaccine. Like all medicines, no vaccine is completely effective, so you should continue to take recommended precautions to avoid infection. Some people may still get Covid-19 despite having a vaccination, but this should be less severe.
CAN I GIVE COVID-19 TO ANYONE AFTER I HAVE HAD THE VACCINE?
The vaccine cannot give you a Covid-19 infection, and a full course will reduce your chance of becoming seriously ill. We do not yet know whether it will stop you from catching and passing on the virus, but we do expect it to reduce this risk.
It is therefore still important to follow the guidance in your local area to protect those around you.
To protect yourself and your family, friends and colleagues you still need to:
- Practice social distancing
- Wear a face mask
- Wash your hands carefully and frequently
- Follow the current guidance
Long-term effects of coronavirus (long COVID)
For some people, coronavirus (COVID-19) can cause symptoms that last weeks or months after the infection has gone. This is sometimes called post-COVID-19 syndrome or "long COVID".
About long COVID
How long it takes to recover from coronavirus is different for everybody.
Many people feel better in a few days or weeks and most will make a full recovery within 12 weeks. But for some people, symptoms can last longer.
The chances of having long-term symptoms does not seem to be linked to how ill you are when you first get coronavirus.
People who had mild symptoms at first can still have long-term problems.
Symptoms of long COVID
There are lots of symptoms you can have after a coronavirus infection.
Common long COVID symptoms include:
- extreme tiredness (fatigue)
- shortness of breath
- chest pain or tightness
- problems with memory and concentration ("brain fog")
- difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
- heart palpitations
- dizziness
- pins and needles
- joint pain
- depression and anxiety
- tinnitus, earaches
- feeling sick, diarrhoea, stomach aches, loss of appetite
- a high temperature, cough, headaches, sore throat, changes to sense of smell or taste
- rashes