Eligible children in Rutland invited for COVID boosters
It comes after a rise in cases across the county
Eligible children in Rutland are being invited for a Covid booster.
The invite comes as local cases rise and facemasks are re-introduced in clinical areas of all NHS settings.
The majority of vaccinations will be provided by GP practices and pharmacies. Leicester’s three hospitals will also be providing vaccination clinics with more details on these still to be announced, the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board (ICB), which is responsible for overseeing local healthcare services, has said.
A mobile vaccination service will also be visiting local communities so people can get their top-ups without making an appointment. A detailed list of all mobile vaccination clinics can be found on the ICB website, the group has said.
All families with eligible children aged six months to four years should have received a letter from the NHS inviting them for the Covid vaccine, the ICB has said. Those in the five to eleven age bracket can be booked in for their jab on the national booking service website.
The first clinic for that age group will be at the Leicester Royal Infirmary on Thursday, October 19. More clinics across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland will be added over the coming weeks, the ICB said.
Children and young people over the age of 12 can book online, call 119 or get an appointment on the NHS App. Eligible adults are still able to get their jab, the ICB added, and can continue to book in for one on the booking site.
Anyone who believes they should be eligible for a vaccine but hasn’t received an invitation to date can self-declare via the national booking service and then speak to a clinician on site, the ICB said. There must also be a gap of at least three months between Covid-19 vaccinations.
Dr Virginia Ashman, a GP, and clinical lead for the Covid-19 and flu vaccination programme in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland said: “It’s really important that all eligible people get vaccinated when invited, to top up their protection against Covid-19 and flu ahead of winter. Children are no exception to this especially if they are clinically unwell or vulnerable. The immunity you have built up from previous vaccinations reduces over time so it’s important to boost your protection regularly.
“The Covid-19 and flu vaccines will help to protect those that need it most by reducing the chance of them becoming seriously unwell or even requiring hospitalisation due to the effects of the viruses this winter. It will also help to ease the pressure on NHS services during an already busy time. If you are unsure if your child is eligible you can speak to your GP practice, local pharmacy or by visiting the National Booking service website.”
Eligible children are those that are in vulnerable or clinical risk groups for conditions including:
• Chronic respiratory diseases
• Chronic heart conditions
• Chronic conditions of the kidney, liver, or digestive system
• Chronic neurological disease
• Endocrine disorders
• Immunosuppression
• Asplenia or dysfunction of the spleen
• Serious genetic abnormalities that affect a number of systems
• Household contacts of immunosuppressed people that are 12 and older
• Carers that are 16 and older