Covid-19 Vaccination Programme

Manor View Practice will be running their Covid-19 Vaccination Programme from Saturday 19th December 2020.  Vaccination will take place at the Bushey practice and will be given strictly by appointment only.

Manor View Practice will be vaccinating on behalf of 3 practices within the Local Primary Care Network (PCN):

• • • Manor View Practice
    • Pathfinder Practice
    • South Oxhey Surgery

Patients will be contacted by the practice booking team in ‘priority groups’.   We will move onto the next ‘priority group’ once each is completed.  Younger / other groups (not listed) will qualify for the Covid-19 vaccination notified once the priority groups have been completed.

The supply of the vaccine is limited and so we are unable to give timeframes of when each priority group will be vaccinated.  Due to the logistics and supply chain around this vaccine, 1st vaccine appointments will often be made at short notice.

If you have a query regarding our Covid-19 Vaccination Programme, please do not call the practice.  Instead please email covidvaccination.mvp@nhs.net.  A staff member will contact you within 72 hours.  Please note that we cannot book appointments or respond to emergencies on this email.

If attending the practice for Covid-19 Vaccination Clinics (or any other reason) please ensure that you wear a face covering or mask at all times.

COVID-19 Vaccine Information

The official name for this Vaccine is the COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine BNT162b2 produced by Pfizer and BioNTech. To make reading easier this will be referred to here as the COVID Vaccine.

This will cover:
1. What the COVID Vaccine is and what it is used for

2. What you need to know before you receive the COVID Vaccine

3. How the COVID Vaccine is given

4. Possible side effects

5. COVID Vaccine contents and other information

1. What the COVID Vaccine is and what it is used for

The COVID Vaccine is a vaccine used for active immunisation to prevent COVID19 disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The COVID Vaccine is given to adults and adolescents from 16 years.

The vaccine triggers the body’s natural production of antibodies and stimulates immune cells to protect against COVID-19 disease.

2. What you need to know before you receive the COVID Vaccine

You should NOT receive the COVID Vaccine if you are allergic to the active substance or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 5 below).

Signs of an allergic reaction may include itchy skin rash, shortness of breath and swelling of the face or tongue. Contact your doctor or healthcare professional immediately or go to the nearest hospital emergency department right away if you have an allergic reaction. It can be life-threatening.

Please discuss with the clinic staff if you have:

– had any problems following previous administration of The COVID Vaccine such as allergic reaction or breathing problems

– a severe illness with high fever. However, a mild fever or upper airway infection, like a cold, are not reasons to delay vaccination.

– a weakened immune system, such as due to HIV infection, or are on a medicine that affects your immune system

– a bleeding problem, bruise easily or use a medicine to inhibit blood clotting

As with any vaccine, The COVID Vaccine may not fully protect all those who receive it. No data are currently available in individuals with a weakened immune system or who are taking chronic treatment that suppresses or prevents immune responses.

The COVID Vaccine is not recommended for children under 16 years.

Other medicines and the COVID Vaccine
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are using, have recently used or might use any other medicines or have recently received any other vaccine.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding
There is currently limited data available on the use of this vaccine in pregnant women. If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before you receive this vaccine. As a precaution, you should avoid becoming pregnant until at least 2 months after the vaccine.

Driving and using machines
The COVID Vaccine has no or negligible influence on the ability to drive and use machines. However, some of the effects mentioned under section 4 ‘Possible side effects’ may temporarily affect the ability to drive or use machines. Do not drive or operate machinery until you are sure that you are not affected.

3. How the COVID Vaccine is given

The COVID Vaccine is given after dilution as an injection of 0.3 mL into a muscle of your upper arm.

You will receive 2 injections, given up to 12 weeks apart.

If you receive one dose of The COVID Vaccine, you should receive a second dose of the same vaccine within 12 weeks to complete the vaccination series.

Protection against COVID-19 disease may not be effective until at least 7 days after the second dose.

If you have any further questions on the use of the COVID Vaccine you can ask at the time of your vaccination itself.

4. Possible side effects

Like all vaccines, The COVID Vaccine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

Most side effects are mild or moderate and go away within a few days of appearing. If side effects such as pain and/or fever are troublesome, they can be treated by medicines for pain and fever such as paracetamol.

Side effects may occur with following frequencies:

Very common: may affect more than 1 in 10 people
• pain at injection site
• tiredness
• headache
• muscle pain
• chills
• joint pain
• fever

Common: may affect up to 1 in 10 people
• injection site swelling
• redness at injection site
• nausea

Uncommon: may affect up to 1 in 100 people
• enlarged lymph nodes
• feeling unwell

5. What the COVID Vaccine contains

The active substance is BNT162b2 RNA

The other ingredients are:
– ALC-0315 = (4-hydroxybutyl)azanediyl)bis(hexane-6,1-diyl)bis(2-hexyldecanoate)
– ALC-0159 = 2[(polyethylene glycol)-2000]-N,N-ditetradecylacetamide
– 1,2-Distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine
– cholesterol
– potassium chloride
– potassium dihydrogen phosphate
– sodium chloride
– disodium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate
– sucrose

COVID-19 Vaccine Information

The official name for this Vaccine is the COVID-19 Vaccine  ChAdOx1-S produced by AstraZeneca. To make reading easier this will be referred to here as the COVID Vaccine.

This will cover:

1. What COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca is and what it is used for

2. What you need to know before you receive COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca

3. How COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca is given

4. Possible side effects

5. Contents of the pack and other information

1. What COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca is and what it is used for

COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca is a vaccine used to protect people aged 18 years and older against COVID-19.

COVID-19 is caused by a virus called coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).

COVID- 19 Vaccine AstraZeneca stimulates the body’s natural defences (immune system). It causes the body to produce its own protection (antibodies) against the virus. This will help to protect you against COVID-19 in the future. None of the ingredients in this vaccine can cause COVID-19.

2. What you need to know before you receive COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca

Do not have the vaccine:

If you have ever had a severe allergic reaction to any of the active substances or any of the other ingredients listed in section 5. Signs of an allergic reaction may include itchy skin rash, shortness of breath and swelling of the face or tongue. Contact your doctor or healthcare professional immediately or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away if you have an allergic reaction. It can be life-threatening.

If you are not sure, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse.

Warnings and precautions

Tell your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before vaccination:

If you have ever had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) after any other vaccine injection;

If you currently have a severe infection with a high temperature (over 38°C). However, a mild fever or infection, like a cold, are not reasons to delay vaccination;

If you have a problem with bleeding or bruising, or if you are taking a blood thinning medicine (anticoagulant);

If your immune system does not work properly (immunodeficiency) or you are taking medicines that weaken the immune system (such as high-dose corticosteroids, immunosuppressants or cancer medicines).

If you are not sure if any of the above applies to you, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before you are given the vaccine.

As with any vaccine, COVID -19 Vaccine AstraZeneca may not protect everyone who is vaccinated from COVID-19. It is not yet known how long people who receive the vaccine will be protected for. No data are currently available in individuals with a weakened immune system or who are taking chronic treatment that suppresses or prevents immune responses.

Children and adolescents

No data are currently available on the use of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca in children and adolescents younger than 18 years of age.

Other medicines and COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca

Tell your doctor, pharmacist or nurse if you are taking, have recently taken or might take, any other medicines or vaccines.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant, or are planning to have a baby, tell your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. There are limited data on the use of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca in pregnant or breastfeeding women. Your doctor, pharmacist or nurse will discuss with you whether you can be given the vaccine.

Driving and using machines

COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca has no known effect on the ability to drive and use machines. However, side effects listed in section 4 may impact your ability to drive and use machines. If you feel unwell, do not drive or use machines.

COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca contains sodium and alcohol (ethanol)

This medicine contains less than 1 mm of sodium (23 mg) per dose of 0.5 ml. This means that it is essentially ‘sodium-free’.
This medicine contains a very small amount of alcohol (0.002 mg of alcohol (ethanol) per dose of 0.5 ml). This is not enough to cause any noticeable effects.

3. How COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca is given

COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca is injected into a muscle (usually in the upper arm).

You will receive 2 injections. You will be told when you need to return for your second injection of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca.

The second injection can be given between 4 and 12 weeks after the first injection.

When COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca is given for the first injection, COVID -19 Vaccine AstraZeneca (and not another vaccine against COVID-19) should be given for the second injection to complete vaccination course.

If you miss your second injection

If you forget to go back at the scheduled time, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse for advice. It is important that you return for your second injection of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca.

4. Possible side effects

Like all medicines, this vaccine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. In clinical studies with the vaccine, most side effects were mild to moderate in nature and resolved within a few days with some still present a week after vaccination.

If side effects such as pain and/or fever are troublesome, medicines containing paracetamol can be taken.

Side effects that occurred during clinical trials with COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca were as follows:

Very Common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people)

– tenderness, pain, warmth, redness, itching, swelling or bruising where the injection is given

– generally feeling unwell

– feeling tired (fatigue)

– chills or feeling feverish

– headache

– feeling sick (nausea)

– joint pain or muscle ache

Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)

– a lump at the injection site

– fever

– being sick (vomiting)

– flu-like symptoms, such as high temperature, sore throat, runny nose, cough and chills

Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)

– feeling dizzy

– decreased appetite

– abdominal pain

– enlarged lymph nodes

– excessive sweating, itchy skin or rash

In clinical trials there were very rare reports of events associated with inflammation of the nervous system, which may cause numbness, pins and needles, and/or loss of feeling. However, it is not confirmed whether these events were due to the vaccine.

If you notice any side effects not mentioned in this leaflet, please inform your doctor, pharmacist or nurse.

Reporting of side effects

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet.
If you are concerned about a side-effect it can be reported directly via the Coronavirus Yellow Card reporting site https://coronavirus-yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/ or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store and include the vaccine brand and batch/Lot number if available. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this vaccine.

5. What the COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca contains

One dose (0.5 ml) contains:
COVID-19 Vaccine (ChAdOx1-S* recombinant) 5 × 1010 viral particles

*Recombinant, replication-deficient chimpanzee adenovirus vector encoding the SARS-CoV-2 Spike glycoprotein. Produced in genetically modified human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells.

This product contains genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

The other excipients are L-histidine, L-histidine hydrochloride monohydrate, magnesium chloride hexahydrate, polysorbate 80, ethanol, sucrose, sodium chloride, disodium edetate dihydrate, water for injections.