Rycote Practice: We continue to roll out the vaccination programme as fast as supplies allow. Over 13,500 vaccine doses have now been administered to patients of The Rycote Practice and over 5,500 patients are now fully immunised. Subject to vaccine deliveries the practice will continue to bring forward second doses in accordance with government policy to administer a second dose 8 weeks after the first.
We are delighted to announce that following changes to the national protocol we are now able to offer the Pfizer Biontech vaccine in Thame. On Wednesday 9th June we will be offering a first dose of the Pfizer Biontech vaccine to patients in their 30s who are yet to be vaccinated. We also plan to hold a further first dose Pfizer clinic on Wednesday 16th June. As many of these patients are working we will be holding clinics in the late afternoon / early evening to ensure as many people as possible can attend. Please do not call the surgery - we will be contacting eligible patients in the coming days. We will also be offering second dose Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccines to those patients who are 8 weeks from their first dose - please do attend for your second dose if you are invited.
Unity Health: We have now carried out over 25,000 vaccinations at the Covid vaccination centre in Princes Risborough.
We have completed first doses for all our patients who want the vaccination in cohorts 1-9; this is all patients aged over 50 or those under 50 who are shielding; have an underlying health condition; are a carer or work in health or social care.
Recently the guidelines have changed to invite all household members of patients who are immunosuppressed to attend for a vaccination; we have written to all our immunosuppressed patients to inform them of this. Household members can either contact their own GP practice using the letter and proof of address or book an appointment at the vaccination site in Princes Risborough. Many of these patients are under 40 so are advised to have the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine rather than the Astra Zeneca vaccine; we have sourced additional Pfizer vaccine for these patients.
Pregnant patients have also now been advised to consider having the vaccination. This group are also advised to have an alternative to the AZ vaccine and we have contacted all our patients who are pregnant to invite them to attend; we would ask newly-pregnant patients to please contact us to book an appointment.
Most of the vaccine we are receiving currently is for second doses and we will have clinics throughout May and June for these groups. We have been scheduling clinics for the 11th week after vaccination but recently have been asked to bring this forward for patients in cohorts 1-9 to 8 weeks. Patients who are approaching 12 weeks since their first vaccination who have not been invited please contact us. This is particularly important for new patients or those patients who did not have their first vaccination at the Princes Risborough Centre since the national system seems to have more difficulty 'capturing' these patients for recall.
We are being sent some additional vaccine for first doses; this is AZ for patients over 40 and Pfizer for patients under 40. As soon as we are notified of vaccine deliveries we will invite patients to book an appointment; this will start with those aged 49 and gradually work through the age groups to those aged 18. Unity Health has signed up to continue to deliver first dose vaccination to all patients aged 18-49 as the programme is rolled out nationally. We plan to complete these by the end of June and will then close down the vaccination centre and patients will then be contacted by NHSE to attend a mass vaccination site for their second doses.
Latest advice for the AZ vaccine is that we continue to give as second doses for anyone who had an AZ first dose. We also continue to give as a first dose for anyone aged 40 and over. For those aged under 40, patients are advised to have an alternative first dose vaccine; this will be either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
Thank you for your ongoing patience and support. Please continue to behave responsibly while we vaccinate younger age groups. Although large numbers of the local population are now vaccinated, cases of Covid continue to be detected. Stay safe, Protect the NHS . Save lives.
