More Covid-19 Booster Vaccination Sessions

Living Magazines Covid-19 Booster

It’s now even easier to get your COVID-19 booster jab in our area. Everyone who is eligible for their top-up jab can now book an appointment online or by ringing 119 for a booster dose if it has been at least six months (182 days) since they had their second dose of the vaccine.

It’s vitally important that the following people top up their immunity levels before they start to naturally decline, leaving them vulnerable to COVID:

  • anyone aged 50 or over
  • anyone aged 16 or over with a health condition that puts them at high risk from COVID-19, and their adult carers or household members aged 12 and over
  • frontline health or social care workers
  • people over 16 years of age with a learning disability or severe mental illness and their carers

Dr Rachel Joyce: Director of Clinical and Professional Services for Hertfordshire and west Essex said: ‘Following a national announcement by Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Sajid Javid, people who are eligible for their COVID booster jab no longer need to wait to be contacted by their GP or the national NHS team. Instead, after six months have passed since their second vaccination, they can and should take up their booster vaccination as soon as possible.  If your second vaccination was more than six months ago, you are increasingly at risk from COVID-19. Don’t take chances with your health – get vaccinated now.’

To make booster vaccinations even easier to access in Hertfordshire and west Essex, you can now also drop-in to some vaccination clinics across our area – without having to book in advance:

  • Chigwell – Limes Centre Car Park, Limes Avenue, Chigwell, Essex, IG7 5LP
  • Harlow – Lister Medical Centre, Abercrombie Way, Harlow, CM18 6YJ
  • Harlow – LeisureZone, Second Ave, Harlow, CM20 3DT
  • Hemel Hempstead Hospital, Hillfield Road, Hemel Hempstead, HP2 4AD
  • Letchworth Garden City – former Argos Store, Garden Square Shopping Centre, Letchworth Garden City, SG6 3DP
  • London Colney – Caledon Community Centre, Caledon Road, London Colney, AL2 1PS
  • Sandridge – Village hall, 39 High Street, Sandridge, AL4 9DD
  • Stevenage – Robertson House, 6 Six Hills Way, Stevenage, SG1 2FQ
  • Waltham Abbey Leisure Centre, Hillhouse, Waltham Abbey, EN9 3EL
  • Watford – Town Hall, Watford. WD17 3EX

The drop-in sessions will run until at least the end of October. Go online to covid.healthierfuture.org.uk/events/vaccination-walk-in-clinic-times to find the opening times for a session near you.

As well as offering ‘booster’ vaccinations, GP practices are working with hospital consultants to identify, contact and then vaccinate immunosuppressed patients aged 12 years and over who urgently need a third ‘primary’ dose of the jab, together with their household contacts.  These high-risk individuals only need to wait for a minimum of eight weeks after getting their second dose of the vaccine, NOT six months.  To see a complete list of those advised to get a third ‘primary dose’, see this webpage:  www.gov.uk/government/publications/third-primary-covid-19-vaccine-dose-for-people-who-are-immunosuppressed-jcvi-advice/joint-committee-on-vaccination-and-immunisation-jcvi-advice-on-third-primary-dose-vaccination

To find out more about vaccinations in Hertfordshire and west Essex, including where and when the nearest ‘drop-in’ clinics are, go to this website covid.healthierfuture.org.uk

Please note if you have recently had COVID-19 you should delay receiving your booster for at least 28 days after receiving the positive result of your PCR test.