The NHS on Isle of Wight is urging people to wait for their COVID-19 vaccination invitation letter to come through the post, rather than calling their doctors surgery.
The COVID vaccination programme is now well underway on the Isle of Wight and the NHS is delighted that people have already been able to receive the jab.
4 GP-led vaccination centres and a hospital hub have already been set up to deliver the vaccine and a sixth hub is soon to open at The Riverside Centre, in Newport.
Despite the phenomenal effort to stand up clinics so quickly and begin vaccinating people, the NHS is aware of frustrations people are feeling as they are unsure of when they might be invited for their jab.
Dr Michele Legg, GP and clinical chair of NHS Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group, said:
“We understand that many people are very keen to be vaccinated as soon as is possible, and in time a vaccine will be available for everyone.
“However, at this point we are working our way through the priority groups, as identified by the government scientific advisors – people in nursing homes and nursing home staff, the over 80s, and some frontline health and care staff.
“While we cannot give people vaccination dates in advance, please be reassured that the NHS will be in touch with everyone who is eligible for the vaccination, as soon as we can.
Article continues below this advertisement “Regrettably, we have to ask people to be patient – we are not holding reserve stocks of the vaccine and so cannot simply add in extra appointments – but everyone will be invited in due course. It will take time to protect everybody, but we will be in touch with everyone as soon as we possibly can.
“We absolutely understand that any wait is frustrating, but calling or messaging the practice will not get you an appointment more quickly, and will take our staff away from their other work.”
Island Echo reported yesterday how there are significant delays with the Royal Mail postal service.
While you wait for your invitation, Islanders are being reminded to do the things they can do.
Dr Legg added:
“Please make sure we have some up-to-date contact details for you – especially a mobile phone number if you have one. It makes it quicker and easier for us to contact you. Also make sure you are registered with a GP practice.
“Again you don’t need to call us with this information – you can update online through the practice website.
“While you wait for the invitation, please do remember to do the basics, to keep yourselves and others safe – comply with lockdown rules, wash your hands, cover your face, and give other people space. And actually this still stands even after you have had either the first or the second doses of the vaccination.
“The island has done tremendously well so far in keeping to these rules, and I know we are all desperate to go back to our normal lives. With the delivery of the vaccination programme scaling up as each day passes, and by abiding by government guidance, we can all reach that goal quicker.”
The prioritisation order of vaccinations being delivered has been set nationally by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and not a decision that is made locally. At the moment the vaccine is being administered first to those most at risk, including:
- people aged 80
- people who live or work in care homes
- health care workers
Those aged over 70 are set to receive their vaccine by mid-February.
Why not roll out vaccinations 24/7 like other countries if we are going to protect the nation and target 2 million a week make the opportunity realistic quicker the better save lives
What other countries. Are they the ones in the EU that are vaccinating very few people
Few elderly like to go out at night time. Driving in the dark with poor eyesight, fear of being mugged, and just get tired more easily.
May work for the last group to be vaccinated the 50’s I guess.
’Intellectual honesty is a crime in any totalitarian country; but even in England it is not exactly profitable to speak and write the truth.’
Would be handy to know how many have been vaccinated on the island and how far downthe first list they are.
It would make more sense to vaccinate the people who all ready have or had the virus first.
Don’t follow you there – The vaccine doesn’t cure people, it just makes them less likely to get it in the first place by giving them the tools to fight of the initial infection.
The people you mention already have some form of immunity by virtue of getting infected in the first place.(Vaccines trigger the same response by fooling the body’s immune system into thinking it’s being infected so it builds a template to combat the virus which gets re-used when the body is exposed to the real one.)
Calling the practice wont get you anything no matter what you call for.
Unfortunately guys the wait with royal mail for covid letters will need your patience.stay at home untill then.lots of self are self isolators,staff shortages and even my own postie is now off with covid so the struggle is real for those guys.
Would it not be better and cheaper to ring people to arrange appointments
Can I just say the vaccine isn’t a guarantee that you won’t catch Covid and that once you have had the vaccine you must stay to the rules in place. Many people believe that once they have had it they can go back to normal.
Also the vaccine will not stop you from passing on the infection as Covid needs to infect you for your immunity from the vaccine to fight it. You there for can be infectious and may not even know it. I personally am not getting my hopes up for a vaccine to solve this issue. I believe a product by saNOtize to be a much more effective way of fighting Covid 19 along with the vaccine, as administration is into the nose by yourself, much like the Vic’s cold defence basil spray.
But hey, it’s just my opinion so don’t hate me for it.
People are getting phone calls, nobody I know who have had the vaccination have had letters, where is this duff information coming from. People need to know for sure. Do they keep off the phone waiting for a call or will they definitely get the, apparently very rare, letter ???
The very few people I know that have had a jab have been contacted by telephone.
In view of the problems Royal Mail are having due to the virus, why don’t we get the invite by email?
Not everybody has email especially the elderly.
I have heard from friends that either recieved a letter or a phone call on the island with their invite so i suggest you hang tight, abide by the advice given by professionals, not listen to fake news or gossip and hopefully soon all those that want the vaccine will get their turn.
Not many over 80s have computers or internet none of my elderly relatives do. Also does it go by alphabet, area,address? I know a 92 year old who’s heard nothing yet all his elderly neighbours have had theirs and they are below him by name and from the same practice but he can’t phone to ask?
Same here! 92 year old parents, with heart conditions and COPD , have not heard anything. Yet, much younger, fitter, neighbours have had theirs done.
This is a complete joke, why are the clinically ill not being prioritised quicker?
I see elderly people wondering about the streets like there is no pandemic standing right next to people chatting away with no mask on, and the clinically ill are scared for their lives and staying in
Healthcare workers should be first in line. If they become sick with covid then who will look after the vulnerable? If your that clinically ill then you should be shielding.
They are
The post office is doing a great job but they’re swamped so it’s not surprising people are nervous about relying on a letter.
The letter for my flu jab arrived the day after the jabs were being done, a letter reminding me that I should have one has only just arrived despite being sent last year.
No confidence at all that the vaccine jab letters will fare any better.
My local surgery have my email address, home phone and mobile number hopefully they’ll use one of them next time rather than increasing the burden on the poor posties.
Well said, my surgery once texted me to inform i had not turned up for a booked appointment, so they can do it. I had been sitting in their waiting area for 30 minutes after checking in at their reception. Red faces!
Will be lucky IF they even answer a phone now. Yet the coun cils answer is to fill the Island with ever more bodies to treat and find jobs for.
But they have good jobs, and private health care, so could not care less.
Vote them out next time.
the council should get out there and hand deliver the letters as they have put us all at risk with there greed and not closing the island to holiday makers and second home owners.