Wednesday 22 September 2021
The Bailiwick of Guernsey Vaccination Programme is now moving into the next phase - the booster programme 2021.
The booster programme will offer an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine and the annual influenza (flu) vaccine for the following groups:
- All adults living in care homes - residential or nursing care.
- Front line health and social care workers.
- All adults over the age of 16 who are immunosuppressed.
- All adults over the age of 16 who are considered clinically extremely vulnerable.
- All adults aged 50 years or over.
The JCVI will continue to assess whether individuals who do not meet the current criteria for a booster will require on in future.
The COVID-19 booster and the flu vaccine can be given at the same time (one in each arm). 6 months needs to have passed since an individual received their initial full dose of COVID-19 vaccine before they can receive a booster dose.
The booster programme will be using Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna vaccine. As before, individuals will not be able to choose which vaccine they receive. If individuals are not able to have an mRNA vaccine, they should discuss their options with Public Health. Alternative vaccines are available for the very small number of individuals for whom a mRNA vaccine is clinically contraindicated.
Letters inviting those who are eligible for a COVID-19 booster will be sent out in batches to manage the flow of callers booking appointments, with the first batch of 500 letters being posted today. Individuals will be called in their original priority group order, working from priority group one down to priority group nine.
A separate process is in place for front line healthcare workers, managed by service/line managers, to ensure that all of those who meet the definition of a health and social care worker receive the offer of a booster dose of vaccine.
The COVID-19 booster will be delivered at the Community Vaccination Centre (CVC) at Beau Sejour. For those adults who live in Bailiwick care homes, the vaccine will be provided within each home setting.
Since the vaccine programme began in December 2020, the transport requirements for the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine have changed and this will allow us greater flexibility in sending vaccine to Alderney and Sark. The vaccination Programme team are working closely with the medical teams on those islands to support the provision of vaccines for boosters.
Islanders are reminded that there is a priority order for vaccinations and are asked to be patient as we progress through the agreed cohort list. Please do not contact the vaccination helpline unless you have received an invitation letter (or in the case of health care workers, a signed referral form).
