Vaccinating Salford

As more people get the vaccine and life returns to normal it’s easy to think COVID-19 has gone away. It hasn’t.

If you’ve had your first dose, you might be tempted to skip the second. It is really important you go to your second dose appointment. You need both doses of the vaccine to complete your vaccine treatment and to stop you from getting seriously ill with coronavirus.

Why you need two doses

One dose of either the AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna vaccine provides a high level of protection from coronavirus. Most of your short-term protection comes from the first dose. The second dose gives slightly greater overall protection but, more importantly, it increases your long-term protection – like an insurance policy.

What does the second dose do that improves on the first?

The point of the second dose is to train your immune system to respond to coronavirus more vigorously. Think of it like learning to play guitar – one lesson may teach you a few chords, but you need lots of lessons to become an expert guitarist.

So, if you want your immune system to become an expert at protecting you from coronavirus, then you need to give your immune system multiple training sessions.

If I can’t make it to my second dose in time, do I have to start again?

No. The guidance from Public Health England is that if the second vaccine is delayed, the first dose does not need to be repeated.

When will I get my second dose?

If you’ve had your first dose through the Salford vaccination service, you’ll get a text message or letter with your second dose appointment.

Do all you can to attend the appointment you have been given. If that’s not possible, ring the call centre on 0800 953 0116 to rearrange. If you have not been contacted by the end of week 12, ring the call centre.

Please do not contact your GP as GP practices in Salford are not involved in the appointment booking system and will only tell you to ring the call centre.

Visit www.salfordccg.nhs.uk/covid-vaccine for more information.

Coronavirus vaccine and blood clots

Recently there have been reports of an extremely rare condition.

The expert scientific advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is that, if you are aged 30 and over or with underlying health conditions, the benefit of getting vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine to protect you against the serious consequences of coronavirus far outweighs the risk of this rare condition. If you are under 30 and have already received your first dose you should complete your course with the same vaccine you had for the first dose.

For the latest information, visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ coronavirus-vaccination/

What should I look out for after vaccination?

Although serious side effects are very rare, if you experience any of the following from around four days to four weeks after vaccination you should seek medical advice urgently:

• a new, severe headache which is not helped by painkillers or is getting worse

• a headache which seems worse when lying down or bending over

• an unusual headache that may be accompanied by blurred vision, nausea and vomiting; difficulty with speech; weakness, drowsiness or seizures

• new, unexplained pinprick bruising or bleeding

• shortness of breath, chest pain,

• leg swelling

• persistent abdominal pain