Information for SHSC service users

(Last updated - Tuesday 23 February 2021)

Who’s it being offered to?

If you are aged 64 or over, or have been told to shield, you can get the vaccine now. Book an appointment at nhs.uk/covidvaccine, or call 119 if you can’t access the internet.

The NHS is currently offering the COVID-19 vaccine to people most at risk from coronavirus.

In England, the vaccine is being offered in some hospitals and pharmacies, at hundreds of local vaccination centres run by GPs and at larger vaccination centres. More centres are opening all the time.

Right now it's being given to priority groups in the following order:

  1. Residents in a care home for older adults and their carers
  2. All those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers
  3. All those 75 years of age and over
  4. All those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals
  5. All those 65 years of age and over
  6. All individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality
  7. All those 60 years of age and over
  8. All those 55 years of age and over
  9. All those 50 years of age and over

At Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust, our staff who fall into these categories are being vaccinated. The vaccine has also been given to some of our service users who are most at risk.

The order in which people will be offered the vaccine is based on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

If you have not received a vaccine, please do not contact your GP, hospital or healthcare worker. Everybody in the above list will be contacted individually. If you are aged 70 or over, or have been told to shield, you can book an appointment to get the vaccine now at nhs.uk/covidvaccine, or call 119 if you can’t access the internet.

If you have received a vaccine, until the virus is under control you still need to follow all the guidance including social distancing, wearing face coverings and hand washing.

To find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit the NHS website.

Are you a service user at Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust?

We’ve collected some useful information about the vaccine. If you have any questions about the vaccine, ask your primary care giver, they'll be happy to help.

Information for all service users, their families and friends

Have a question about the COVID-19 vaccines? Public Health England have worked with doctors, scientists, and health professionals to answer frequent questions. Take a look at the video FAQ on YouTube. 

What to expect after your COVID-19 vaccination
A useful guide which gives an overview of the vaccines and answers common questions. 

Why you have to wait for your COVID-19 vaccine
This explains the way the coronavirus vaccines are being rolled out across the country.

Easy read information about the COVID-19 vaccine
Information on COVID-19 vaccination: easy-read guide
Information on COVID-19 vaccination: easy-read guide (PDF)

Information for people from BAME communities

Some people in Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities are more at risk from COVID-19 and also less likely to take up an offer of a vaccine in the UK. We’ve collected the key information, guidance, and resources available for BAME communities here.

Resources

The links to resources in the drop down menus below are available in multiple languages. 

Watch and share this short video featuring public figures including Meera Syal, Romesh Ranganathan, Adil Ray, Moeen Ali, and Sanjeev Bhaskar. It busts some of the myths surrounding the new vaccines and explains the reasons they're so important right now.

 

Frequently asked questions:

Is the vaccine vegan/vegetarian friendly?
There is no material of foetal or animal origin, including eggs, in either vaccine. All ingredients are published in healthcare information on the MHRA’s website.

For the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine information is available here.

For the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine information is available here.

Is the NHS confident the vaccine will be safe?
Yes. The NHS would not offer any COVID-19 vaccinations to the public until it is safe to do so. The MHRA, the official UK regulator authorising licensed use of medicines and vaccines by healthcare professionals, has said these vaccines are safe and highly effective, 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.

What is the evidence to show the vaccine is safe for BAME communities?
The Public Assessment Reports contain all the scientific information about the trials and information on trial participants.

For the Pfizer trial, participants included 9.6% black/African, 26.1% Hispanic/Latino and 3.4% Asian.  

For the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine 10.1% of trial recipients were Black and 3.5% Asian.

There is no evidence either of the vaccines will work differently in different ethnic groups.

Information for older adults

COVID-19 vaccination: guide for older adults
A guide for older adults that answers common questions about the coronavirus vaccine.

Vaccination Invitation Letters from the National Booking System
If you are aged (75) or over, and have not yet had a vaccination, you may get a letter from the NHS national booking system inviting you to make an appointment at a large scale centre like Sheffield Arena. 

These are being sent to people who live within 45 minutes of one of the centres that has been opened, which might be in a different area to where you would normally receive your healthcare. 

Please note that you do not have to book an appointment at one of these centres if it is not convenient for you to get there. You can choose to wait for an invitation from your local GP practice  Please do not contact your local practice about an appointment until you receive an invitation from them.

Women of childbearing age, those currently pregnant, or breastfeeding

A guide to the COVID-19 vaccination – for women of childbearing age, those currently pregnant, or breastfeeding
The COVID-19 vaccines available in the UK have been shown to be effective and to have a good safety profile. The early COVID-19 vaccines do not contain organisms that can multiply in the body, so they cannot infect an unborn baby in the womb.

People with a learning disability and autistic people

Public Health England easy read Covid vaccination leaflet  

Public Health England easy read Consent form for adults 

Additional training materials for COVID 19 vaccinators and volunteers provide top tips on communicating with people with a learning disability and autistic people and reasonable adjustments that should be considered 

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Coronavirus - information for our service users and visitors