15 September 2021

Dear colleagues,

Yesterday the government announced its COVID-19 Response: Autumn/Winter Plan for 2021. We know we have a difficult few month ahead of us on top of what has been an extremely challenging 18 months. We are grateful for the significant work that you and your colleagues have already done to prepare. The ongoing focus and commitment from primary care has been astonishing.

The flu vaccination programme is already in full swing and this will be a critical plank in keeping patients and staff safe and well over the winter period.

Part of the government’s winter plan also includes the COVID-19 vaccine booster programme and we are delighted that so many Primary care Networks and community pharmacies have signed up to deliver this vital programme. Additionally, the government have announced a vaccination programme for healthy children and young people aged 12-15.

As a reminder, the above does not preclude the actions that GPs should have undertaken to identify and offer vaccination to 12-15 Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) children and household contacts of the severely immunosuppressed as outlined in the letter of 13 August. Please ensure that individuals have been identified and the appropriate action taken to ensure that the most clinically vulnerable in this age group receive vaccination.

The JCVI guidance on vaccination of children aged 12 to 15 years old with underlying health conditions was updated on 3 September with eligibility widened. Searches will be made available shortly to support practices with identifying the additional children and young people who are now also eligible as part of this group. These children and young people should be invited for a COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible.

Operational details on both these new vaccination programmes can be found below. A webinar will be held on Thursday 16 September from 4pm to 5pm to talk through next steps. Please register here by 2.30pm this Thursday.

Thank you for all that you are doing

Nikki and Caroline

COVID-19 Vaccination Booster Programme 

All vaccination sites have been notified directly about the next phase of activity 

This letter sets out the actions we are now asking you to take immediately to begin administering booster doses as soon as possible.

Public Health England is updating the Patient Group Directive (PGD) and the National Protocol. We expect the PGD to be updated by 21 September and the National Protocol to follow shortly after. Until these have been updated, only sites meeting the prescribing requirements for working under a Patient Specific Direction (PSD) should start to administer booster vaccines.

PCN sites should now undertake a number of key actions to vaccinate in line with the updated JCVI guidance. More details are contained in the letter, but these actions includes:

1. Overall readiness: sites should now make preparations to start vaccinating as soon as possible.

2. Managing capacity and booking vaccination appointments via the National Booking System (NBS): It is expected that we will open the National Booking System for bookings and issue first national invitations on Monday 20 September

3. Vaccine type

4. Vaccine supply

5. Recording booster vaccinations

6. Co-administration of COVID-19 and influenza seasonal vaccines

Specifically, for all PCN-led local vaccination services (LVS)

• The letter constitutes formal notification of the commencement date to GP practices under paragraph 9.1 of the Enhanced Service specification for Phase 3. The Enhanced Service specification is being updated to reflect the JCVI recommendation. Once updated, practices may start vaccinating sooner than the 25 September.
• PCN led LVS should prioritise care homes for older adult care home residents and care home staff
• We are now able to confirm the extension of further funding temporarily for PCN Clinical Director support. This is available from October 2021 to March 2022.

For all community pharmacy-led LVSs

• The Local Enhanced Service specification for Community Pharmacies is being updated to reflect the JCVI recommendation and this will be issued by regional teams shortly.
• Until the PGD and National Protocol have been updated, only Community Pharmacies with a prescriber on-site are able to administer booster dose vaccinations.
• Prior to commencing vaccinations, Community Pharmacy sites must have completed all the tasks in the “Ready to Vaccinate Checklist
• Regional Teams will complete the Phase 3 Site Readiness Checklist on Foundry for each Community Pharmacy-led site. Both new and existing sites will need to have this approval prior to service commencement.
• Sites can commence booster vaccines ahead of NBS opening to focus on health and social care workers via walk-ins/local bookings.

Please see the letter for more details.

We have produced a communications toolkit designed to support primary care communications around the COVID-19 booster programme. It is available on Future NHS  

Vaccination of health children and young people aged 12-15

Following the Government’s acceptance of the UK CMOs’ recommendation to extend the offer of universal vaccination with a first dose of the Pfizer vaccine to all children and young people aged 12 to 15 (who are not already covered by existing JCVI advice), this letter sets out the actions that need to be taken to ensure the timely operationalisation of this work.

This is a new delivery model for the programme, and systems should commence formal engagement with their local school aged immunisation service (SAIS) providers to operationalise delivery of COVID-19 vaccinations in school settings and make specific provision available for those children aged 12-15 who are not in mainstream education.

Beyond outreach to those not in mainstream education, any system planning to vaccinate children in a setting outside of a school more widely should only do this by exception and with agreement of the NHS Regional Director. The children’s service will be delivered alongside existing requirements of the National Vaccines Programme and in agreeing exceptions systems must consider the impact on wider capacity for vaccinations.

Please see the letter for more details.