COVID-19 Spring Booster
COVID-19 Spring Booster Campaign Launches in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough
Health experts at Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Integrated Care System (ICS) are encouraging those most at risk of serious illness from the disease to come forward for their spring boosters.
People who live in adult care homes have already started to receive their spring boosters by their GPs or by new vaccine provider for Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust. All other eligible people can book their spring vaccine from 5 April, with appointments starting from 17 April, via the National Bookings Service. Pop-up clinics that do not need booked appointments will start later in the month, too.
The eligibility for a spring booster is more focused than previous years, to target those people who would benefit most from having an extra vaccination.
As with previous years, appointments will be available at select community pharmacies and GP surgeries across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. In addition, the ICS’ roving vaccination team, Vaccinators on Tour, run by Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust, will be on the road, hosting walk-in pop-up clinics at a variety of community locations, including the Grafton Centre four days a week.
Dr Fiona Head, Chief Medical Officer at Cambridgeshire & Peterborough ICS, said: “COVID-19 is very much still around and being spread. So, the spring booster will help to top-up the immunity of our friends, family and community members who are most at risk of becoming seriously poorly from COVID-19 this spring and summer.
“We know that vaccinations continue to be our best form of protection against severe COVID-19 symptoms and indeed hospitalisation. So, I would encourage anybody who does receive an invitation to have a spring booster, to take up the offer.
“As our NHS services are very busy, we ask that if you are eligible, to please wait for your invitation and don’t call your GP or 111 to book an appointment.”
Caroline Shepherd, Assistant Director of Immunisation Programmes, added: “Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust is delighted to be a proud NHS partner, helping to deliver the COVID vaccination programme across the Cambridge and Peterborough region. We recently welcomed colleagues from the former COVID vaccination team of Cambridge Community Services NHS Trust. They are now working alongside their HCT vaccination colleagues to protect as many eligible and vulnerable patients from the life-threatening COVID virus.
“Between now and the end of June, our expanded spring COVID-19 vaccination service will vaccinate eligible patients in care homes, anyone who is housebound, at community events using our COVID vaccination roving teams, or at the dedicated Grafton Centre in Cambridge.
“For further details, please visit TheVaccinators.co.uk.”
The NHS is still providing first and second primary doses of the COVID-19 vaccination, with the offer ending in its current form, at the same time as the spring booster campaign on 30 June 2023. We encourage anyone eligible who has had just one COVID vaccination, or not had one at all, to come forward for their vaccine as soon as possible before 30 June.