23/09/2022
Appointments are now being sent out to all people in the Priority Four cohort who are due to receive an Autumn Booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccination.
Cohort four includes all adults aged over 70, and adults aged between 18 and 69 who are in a high-risk group with underlying medical health conditions which makes them more vulnerable to becoming ill as a result of Covid-19. The prioritisation is in line with guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
To be eligible to receive the booster vaccination, an adult in this group must:
- Have either completed their primary course of the vaccine or received a booster at least three months ago
- Not have had a positive test for Covid-19 within the previous 28 days
- Be able to provide consent for themselves or be in possession of a Best Interest Form provided by their GP*
*If the person receiving the vaccine is unable to provide consent for themselves, they will need to obtain a 'Best Interest' form from their GP. A family member or next of kin cannot provide consent on behalf of another person, and forms obtained previously cannot be used for the Autumn Booster programme. If there is any doubt about the person's capacity to provide consent at the time of the vaccination appointment and they aren't in possession of a completed Clinician's Best Interest form, the Vaccination Team will not be able to administer the booster jab.
The Covid-19 Vaccination Team has begun sending appointments to those individuals in cohort four either by email or letter. People can also book and manage their Covid-19 vaccination appointments online and change their appointment to a different time slot if they need to. To do this, they will need to input their name, date of birth and NHS number which can be found on any medical letter they may have received from Manx Care or their GP. Alternatively, they can email vaccinations@gov.im or call 111 to book an appointment.
Adults with a Learning Disability
The Vaccination Team has considered the needs of Adults with a Learning Disability who fall within the cohort four priority group. Whilst the majority of people can attend a scheduled session in the Chester Street Vaccine Hub, some may need additional support, and others will need a home visit due to them having physical or emotional difficulties which would make it difficult for them to travel to the Hub.
The Vaccination Team is beginning to contact all of those people who are either known to Adult Learning Disability Services (or who had their first and second Covid vaccinations at the bespoke clinics delivered at Greenfield Park last year) via phone, letter or email to confirm an appointment for them. People will have been contacted by close of business on 30 September. However, any Adult with a Learning Disability – or the carer or friend of someone who meets this criteria – who hasn’t been contacted by that date, should contact Adult Learning Disability Services on +44 1624 618520 to request an appointment.
Children between 12 and 17 with a Learning Disability
The Vaccination Team is also considering the needs of Children with a Learning Disability who require an Autumn booster. They will be making contact with parents and carers to arrange the most appropriate location for children to receive their vaccination by close of business on Friday 7 October. Any parent or carer of a child with a Learning Disability aged between 12 and 17 who hasn’t been contacted by this date should contact the Community Vaccination team via email at communityvaccinations@gov.im to make arrangements for this.
Important information
Individuals will be given a booster dose of a vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna. They may be offered an updated combination version of these booster vaccines – the combination vaccines include a half-dose of the previous vaccine combined with a half-dose of a vaccine against the Omicron variant. Both the previous and the combination vaccines boost protection very well, although the combination vaccines produce slightly higher levels of antibody against some strains of Omicron. The primary objective for the 2022 Autumn Booster programme is to enhance immunity in those at higher risk from Covid-19 and so receiving the booster will increase their protection against the virus.