COVID-19 Vaccination Programme
This page is where you will find the latest information for general practice about the COVID-19 vaccination programme. We are updating this page regularly as new information is released.
Below you will find information from:
- NHSEI - Covid-19 Vaccination Programme
- NHSEI Primary Care Bulletins
- BMA
- Public Health England
- Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency
NHSEI: COVID-19 Vaccination Programme
Visit the NHSEI Primary Care guidance pages for key documents including:
- COVID-19 vaccination in older adult care homes – the next stage (13 January 2021)
- Instruction on timing of second dose of COVID-19 vaccinations (published 11 January 2021)
- Freeing up practices to support COVID vaccination (7 January)
- COVID-19 Vaccine Oxford AstraZeneca – movement of vaccine (published 7 January 2021)
- Operational guidance: vaccination of frontline health and social care workers (published 7 January 2021)
- Standard operating procedure COVID-19 local vaccination services deployment in community settings (updated 6 January 2021)
- Letter from the UK Chief Medical Officers regarding the UK COVID-19 vaccination programmes (31 December 2020)
- JCVI and PHE have published details on the effectiveness of a single dose of either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine - Optimising the COVID-19 vaccination programme for maximum short-term impact; Short statement from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (31 December 2020)
- Deployment of COVID-19 Vaccine Oxford/AstraZeneca: implications for governance, handling and preparation of vaccines (31 December 2020)
- Guidance for COVID-19 vaccination in care homes that have cases and outbreaks (31 December 2020)
- COVID-19 vaccination - action for CCGs on support to help GPs rebook vaccine appointments (31 December 2020)
- COVID-19 vaccination – for immediate action. Letter regarding changes to the vaccination programme (30 December 2020)
- Staffing support to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine to care home residents and staff (added 20 December 2020)
- COVID-19 Enhanced Service Vaccination Collaboration Agreement (updated 12 December 2020)
- Patient Group Direction for COVID-19 mRNA vaccine (Pfizer/BioNTech) (published 11 December 2020)
- Standard operating procedure for the management of COVID-19 vaccination clinical incidents and enquiries (added 9 December 2020)
- Governance, handling, and preparation of vaccines by GP led Local Vaccination Centres (PCN designated sites) - letter from Dr Keith Ridge (added 8 December, updated 10 December)
- PCN sites beginning COVID-19 vaccination on 14 December 2020 – information to support you to stand up your vaccination service (added 7 December)
- Wave 1 mobilisation of the Primary Care COVID-19 Vaccination Programme 2020/21 (added 4 December)
- Enhanced Service Specification: COVID-19 vaccination programme 2020/21 (added 1 December)
COVID-19 deployment queries – contact information:
Supplies: For queries about vaccine supply, ordering and delivery support, and supply of consumables and PPE, contact Unipart at CS@nhsvaccinesupport.com / 0800 678 1650, open 7am to 7pm, Monday-Sunday.
IT and hardware: For queries about IT issues, including IT hardware, 4G connectivity (for equipment provided by NHSE), Pinnacle, Foundry, Data and other IT services issues, contact the Covid Vaccination Help Desk on vaccineservicedesk@england.nhs.uk / 0300 200 1000, open 6am to 10pm every day, including Bank Holidays.
For all other queries, contact your Regional Vaccination Operation Centre (RVOC) in the first instance: North East & Yorkshire england.ney-vacc-cell@nhs.net
NHSE/I Primary Care Bulletins
All NHSEI bulletins, plus sign up link, can be found on the NHSE website here.
Recent editions and summary of contents:
- 12/01/2021: Instruction on timing of second dose of COVID-19 vaccinations - NHSE letter 11 Jan, The Department of Health and Social Care published strategy for the COVID-19 vaccine deployment, NHSE updated communications pack, additional resources for GPs on the COVID-19 Vaccination Booking Service and Vaccination Centres, COVID-19 deployment queries – contact information, COVID-19 vaccination sites feedback form, webinar dates
- 10/01/2021: new vaccination centres; freeing up practices to support vaccination; movement of Oxford AstraXeneca vaccine; National protocol for COVID-19 mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 (Pfizer/BioNTech) – updated 10 January; Operational guidance: vaccination of frontline health and social care workers; Standard operating procedure: COVID-19 local vaccination services deployment in community settings – updated 6 January
- 07/01/2021: rollout of Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine; Vaccinations for primary care staff; Updated: Enhanced service specification – COVID-19 vaccination programme 2020/21; COVID-19 Vaccine Oxford AstraZeneca – movement of vaccine; Post-vaccination observation period for Oxford/AstraZeneca; Patient Group Direction for COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca, (ChAdOx1-S [recombinant]) now published; Contractors who have not yet ordered lateral flow tests; Co-administering the flu and COVID vaccines; Supporting physical health-checks for people with Severe Mental Illness
BMA: COVID-19 Vaccination Programme
This guidance from the BMA provides detail about what the CVP (COVID-19 vaccination programme) service involves, what is expected of practices, what you will get to support this work, and guidance on what to do now.
Recent updates include: Access to vaccines for all frontline health and social care workers; Further support the BMA secured to enable practices to prioritise vaccine delivery, including additional payments for care home vaccinations (8 January).
The BMA have also published guidance on how practices can utilise extra workforce to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine programme (updated 11 January).
PHE: COVID-19: vaccination programme guidance for healthcare practitioners
Guidance for healthcare practitioners about the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination programme. Regularly updated.
Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency
Central Alerting System - letter which sets out the scientific and public health rationale for the dosing schedule for the AstraZeneca vaccine and the change to the dosing schedule for the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Also the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has put forward a prioritisation scheme which is included. The JCVI have also issued a short statement 'Optimising the COVID-19 vaccination programme for maximum short-term impact' which is also attached. - 31 December 2020
National protocol for COVID-19 mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 (Pfizer/BioNTech) - published 18 December 2020, updated 10 January 2021
Regulatory approval of Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine for COVID-19:
Information for healthcare professionals and the public about the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Published 2 December 2020; updated 31 December 2020.
Oxford University/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine approved - 30 December 2020
Regulatory approval of COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna: Information for healthcare professionals and the public about the COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna - published 8 January 2021