Dear Patients
We would like to keep you informed about the upcoming Autumn Flu and COVID Vaccination Programmes. We understand how crucial it is for our community to receive these vaccines, and we are committed to providing you with the best possible care.
Every year there is a huge logistical effort made by the Practice to deliver this as smoothly as possible. However, there may be instances where changes or delays occur in the programme, many of which are beyond our control.
NHS England is responsible for the planning and execution of the national vaccination programme. Sometimes, they make last-minute adjustments. These changes can be due to various things, such as updates in vaccine recommendations, changes to priority groups, or unforeseen logistical challenges with stock or HGV cold chain delivery. When such changes occur, our practice must adapt promptly and accordingly, which may result in rescheduling of appointments.
We understand that change can be frustrating. Rest assured that our team work tirelessly to navigate these challenges on you behalf when they arise. To stay informed about any updates or changes to the vaccination programme, we recommend visiting our website and checking your emails.
**Latest update as of 05/09/2023**
Healthcare providers were originally instructed to start to co-administer COVID and Flu from 7th October and all our previous plans were formed around this.
In response to the recent new COVID variant BA2.86, NHS England have now asked providers to start to administer from 18th September, where possible, with the expectation of completing the majority of eligible patients by the end of October. https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/nhs-vaccination-response-to-urgent-ba2-86-risk-and-changes-to-autumn-winter-2023-24-vaccination-delivery-programme/
We have been working tirelessly to adapt to these evolving circumstances. Despite our best efforts, logistical constraints have made it challenging to align our vaccine delivery schedule with the rapidly shifting timelines set by NHS England. However, we have managed to pull together some earlier clinics, but to date our influenza vaccine is still due to be delivered on 26th September, so we are unable to commence as earlier as NHS England wishes.
We will be inviting eligible patients shortly, and we appreciate your patience whilst awaiting this invitation.
Many thanks
St Paul’s Surgery