Covid Vaccination Clinic

Covid vaccination update 25 March

We are aware that NHS England have announced that patients are aged 50 and over will be vaccinated by the end of March. Our vaccine supply is determined by the Scottish Government. At present we have no update on the dates listed below for each cohort. We understand that there will be a press release launched tomorrow to update the general public on information on vaccine supply within NHS Highland.

We had hoped to have offered a first dose vaccine by mid April to everyone who is: 

• over the age of 50, or
• has a health condition which puts them at increased risk, or
• is a carer or frontline health or care worker

We are still confident that we will be very close to having achieved this by mid April, but this will be dependent on supplies.

Our next clinics are:

• Wednesday 7 & Thursday 8 April – 2^nd doses of Pfizer
• Friday 9 April – 1^st doses of AstraZenica for those aged 16-64 At Risk who hadn’t previously had a 1^st dose of Pfizer; and 55-64 year olds.  We may have enough vaccine to start doing 50-54 year olds, but at this stage don’t think we will be able to fully complete this group on the 9th.  The next clinic for completing this group will be dependent on when we receive further supplies from NHS Highland.

Both clinics are held at the Highlife Centre in Aviemore. We are now in the process of phoning patients to book them into the clinics above, and this will continue throughout next week, so please wait until you are called.

The Highlands and Argyll and Bute are slightly ahead of the national average for percentage of the population vaccinated, and over half of people in this area have now had their first vaccination. There is no significant variation between GP practices: though some may be a little ahead at one time, others will catch up and may be slightly further forward the following week.  

Practices may also move through the age groups differently depending on who they have been able to contact. Although this may mean we vaccinate some people in lower age groups, we will try again to contact those in previous age groups.

We will contact you about your vaccination. Please check this website or our Facebook page for information rather than phoning. Only contact us about COVID-19 vaccination if you are over 65 and have not received an invitation.  

Further clinics and priority groups

We will contact patients in the Priority groups as we receive information about when further deliveries of the vaccines arrive and how many we will receive in each delivery so we can start planning further clinics. In the meantime, please do not contact the Practice asking about the vaccinations as we are experiencing very high call volumes – you will be contacted by us when it is your turn.

The NHS Highland vaccination team will vaccinate our housebound patients.

Proof of Covid vaccination status

Please do not contact the practice to ask for a Covid vaccination passport or status certificate – we will not be able to provide any standard document.

International certification standards have not yet been agreed. The Scottish Government is working to support the re-opening of international travel once it is safe to do so. They are working with the other UK Nations and with the World Health Organisation to agree on potential future COVID certification requirements for international travel. As part of this, the Scottish Government are developing a technical solution that could allow people to access their Covid vaccination status directly.

We will continue to update you as work on this progresses.

More information about the COVID vaccine

Information on the COVID Vaccine was sent out to all Scottish households by the Scottish Government – you should have had it in a brown envelope delivered by post. The vaccine is the best way to protect yourself from COVID. With high rates of COVID around, it’s more important than ever to stop the spread. Getting your COVID vaccine is one of the most important reasons for leaving your home. The vaccine does not cause COVID. It helps to build up your immunity to the virus, so your body will fight it off more easily if it affects you. This can reduce your risk of developing COVID or, if you do get COVID, it can make the symptoms milder. NHS Scotland will only use a vaccine if it meets the required standards of safety and effectiveness. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved COVID vaccines for use in the UK.

If you have any questions or concerns about the COVID vaccine, visit www.nhsinform.scot/covid19vaccine or call 0800 030 8013 (available 8am–8pm, 7 days a week).

To inform us of an allergy concern or to decline the COVID vaccine, please let us know here.