Our large-scale Covid vaccination centre at Shakespeare Barn, King's Lynn Arts Centre will be closed on Sunday 1^st May as runners gather in the town to take part in the Grand East Anglia Run (GEAR) 10K.

The centre will be open every other day for both walk-ins and booked appointments to enable all those eligible to access their vital vaccination or booster jabs.

Earlier this month, we announced that the following recently eligible groups, who could already book appointments via the National Booking Service or by ringing 119 (free of charge), could also access their jabs on a walk-in basis:

• People who are 75 and older, and those aged 12 years and older who are severely immunosuppressed are eligible for a top-up booster appointment six months after their last dose as part of the national Spring Booster programme. 
• Children aged 5-11 who are not in at-risk groups are also now eligible for their first Covid vaccine with a second dose available 12 weeks’ later.

Dr David Vickers, Medical Director, Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust, said:

“We know vaccines give significant protection against severe illness from Covid-19, so I strongly urge anyone who’s eligible to come forward.

“Our vaccination teams continue to do an amazing job delivering the largest vaccination programme in NHS history and we’d like to thank our dedicated staff and volunteers for working over the holiday period to enable many more people to get vaccinated.

“If you haven’t yet had your first, second or (if you were immunosuppressed at the time you had these) third dose of the vaccine, or any other booster, it’s never too late - you can simply walk-in to a local vaccination centre or book an appointment online via the National Booking Service.”

End

Editors’ notes:

Those who have recently recovered from Covid should still come forward for their vaccination as having had the virus does not give the same levels of protection. Anyone over 18 who has had Covid will need to wait four weeks before having any dose of the vaccine, or 12 weeks for those aged 5 to 17.

Which people aged 12 and over are in the immunosuppressed category?

People aged 12 and over who are immunosuppressed include those who have had or have:

• A blood cancer (such as leukaemia or lymphoma)
• A weakened immune system due to a treatment (such as steroid medicine, biological therapy, chemotherapy or radiotherapy)
• An organ or bone marrow transplant
• A condition that means you have a very high risk of getting infections
• A condition or treatment your specialist advises makes you eligible for an additional dose

Notes on vaccinations for 5-11-year-olds

All 5-11-year-olds will be offered two 10 microgram doses of the Pfizer vaccine; a third of the amount used for adult vaccinations.

Parents and guardians are asked to attend the vaccination centre with their children and are asked to read the patient information available.

Children aged 5-11 who are in a clinical risk group or who live with someone who is immunosuppressed can continue to access their first dose of the covid vaccine on a walk-in basis in Norfolk and Waveney. Eligible children include those with diabetes, immunosuppression, learning disabilities, and other conditions as outlined by the UK Health Security Agency in the Green Book.  Eligible children in this cohort will get a second dose eight weeks after their first dose and can’t receive any vaccination until four weeks after a positive test for coronavirus.

Norfolk large-scale vaccination centres

Large-scale vaccination centres are open seven days a week 8.30 am to 4.00 pm and some late evenings at the following locations:

• Paddock Road Surgery, Paddock Road, Harleston IP20 9AT
• Connaught Hall, Station Rd, Attleborough NR17 2AS
• Shakespeare Barn, King's Lynn Arts Centre, King Street, Kings Lynn PE30 1HA
• Norwich City Council HQ, St Peters Street, Norwich NR2 1NH
• Beetley Ward, Dereham Hospital, Northgate, Dereham NR19 2EX

Information on evening openings is available here: https://apps.norfolk.gov.uk/WalkIn/Form/AllAvailableClinics

Contact:

Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust’s Communication Team via ccs.communications@nhs.net