Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine

• CLICK HERE to download the Covid-19 vaccination guide to learn more about the vaccine

• Find out what to expect after your first vaccination in a downloadable leaflet HERE

• To find out what your consent form for your vaccination will look like CLICK HERE

Who can get the COVID-19 vaccine

The COVID-19 vaccine is currently being offered to those who are most at risk from coronavirus.

At this time, those being invited are:

• some people aged 80 and over who already have a hospital appointment in the next few weeks
• people who work in care homes
• health care workers at high risk

The vaccine will be offered more widely, and at other locations, as soon as possible.

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

How the COVID-19 vaccine is given

The COVID-19 vaccine is given as an injection into your upper arm.

It’s given as 2 doses, at least 21 days apart.

How safe is the COVID-19 vaccine?

The vaccine approved for use in the UK was developed by Pfizer/BioNTech.

It has met strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness set out by the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Any coronavirus vaccine that is approved must go through all the clinical trials and safety checks all other licensed medicines go through. The MHRA follows international standards of safety.

Other vaccines are being developed. They will only be available on the NHS once they have been thoroughly tested to make sure they are safe and effective.

So far, thousands of people have been given a COVID-19 vaccine and reports of serious side effects, such as allergic reactions, have been very rare. No long-term complications have been reported.

For any further information regarding the Coronavirus vaccine please visit the Coronavirus vaccination NHS webpage.