How to access your COVID-19 vaccination status

From the Government's website www.gov.uk:

"Through the NHS App"

"You can access your COVID-19 vaccination status through the free NHS App from 17 May. You can access the app through mobile devices such as a smartphone or tablet. Proof of your COVID-19 vaccination status will be shown within the NHS App. We recommend that you register with the app before booking international travel.

"By calling 119"

"If you do not have access to a smartphone and know that the country you are travelling to requires COVID-19 vaccination status, you can call the NHS helpline on 119 (from 17 May) and ask for a letter to be posted to you. This must be at least 5 working days after you’ve completed your course of the vaccine. We expect the letter to take up to 5 working days to reach you.

"The letter will be sent automatically to the address registered with your GP. The 119 call handler you speak to will not be able to see your address to check this with you. If you’ve recently moved house, make sure you’ve given your new address to your GP practice before calling 119.

Do not contact your GP surgery about your COVID-19 vaccination as we cannot provide letters showing vaccination status.

Vaccine Clinics

Please note that Thaxted Surgery is no longer able to book you for a first vaccination. All first bookings are now being handled through the National Booking Service. Lord Butler Vaccination Centre is an option on this system - you simply select the next free slot and book yourself in. However, appointments do go quickly so if you particularly want to be vaccinated locally, we recommend you keep trying, as more appointments are added all the time.

Alternatively, bookings can be made by calling 119 free of charge, anytime between 7am and 11pm seven days a week.

COVID vaccine supplies

You may have seen news coverage about vaccine supplies over the coming weeks.

From now until 29 March, our GP-run vaccination centre at Lord Butler Leisure Centre will still be delivering vaccinations to people in the top priority cohorts. This includes everyone aged 50 or over, eligible carers and those in vulnerable groups.

If you are one of these patients, you can also choose to book a vaccination online at on the National Booking System: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/coronavirus-vaccine/ or by calling 119. 

 Everyone who is due to have a second dose of either the Pfizer or the AstraZeneca vaccine between 29 March and the end of April will receive their second dose. If you had your first dose at our GP-run vaccination centre then we will contact you when it is time for your next appointment. There is no need for you to phone us.

 If you booked your first appointment at a pharmacy or large vaccination centre through the National Booking System website or by calling 119, you should already have a second dose appointment in your diary. You should attend this appointment as planned.

 Any first dose vaccinations already booked to take place in April via the National Booking System will also still go ahead.

Up to date information about COVID vaccinations can be found at https://covid.healthierfuture.org.uk/ 

In conjunction with other local GP surgeries Thaxted Surgery has begun vaccinating patients for COVID-19.Together with these surgeries we have successfully vaccinated over 1000 patients so far.

Vaccinations will be distributed by invitation, in order, to the priority groups the Government has decided will be first to get the vaccine. When your "turn" comes, the surgery will contact you to invite you personally. How quickly this happens will depend on the national vaccine distribution programme.

We are aware that these are worrying times and that everyone is keen to know when they will be vaccinated. Unfortunately, unlike the flu campaign, we do not have any control over the number of vaccines we receive, when we receive them or even which vaccine we receive.

Please help us by NOT phoning the surgery and asking about the COVID-19 vaccination programme and when you can get it. Our phones and staff are becoming overwhelmed and in some cases emergency calls are not getting through.

httphttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-why-you-are-being-asked-to-wait

We understand the situation is incredibly frustrating and ask for your patience. Everything that can be done is being done.