COVID-19 vaccination programme
Beginning on 5 January the Government placed England in National Lockdown
COVID-19 restrictions in Kirklees tells you more about what this means.
Please wait to be contacted
The NHS or your GP will contact you when it's your turn to have the vaccine. It's important not to contact the NHS or your GP or to visit a vaccination centre before you are contacted.
COVID-19 vaccinations
The NHS Coronavirus vaccination programme has started in Kirklees for people who are most at risk.
Delivering vaccinations to our population will take time, so please be patient. The NHS will let you know when it's your turn.
At the moment, it is being given to:
- people aged 80 and over
- people who live or work in care homes
- health and social care workers at high risk
You need to be registered with a GP surgery in England. You can register with a GP if you do not have one.
You will be contacted by the NHS and invited to your appointment when the time is right. This will either be by letter from your GP or the national booking system and in some cases by phone or text.
Until you get notification of your vaccine appointment, and even when you have had your vaccine, you must still follow Coronavirus prevention and help advice to continue to protect yourself, family and community and to play your part in helping to stop the spread.
Once you have been contacted
You should book your appointment as soon as possible. You may be offered the option to book an appointment online. If you cannot book online you may be able to book an appointment by phone.
You may be invited to book an appointment at a national vaccination centre, such as the Etihad Tennis Club in Manchester.
If you are unable to to travel to the vaccination centre you are offered, please refer back to the letter for advice on alternative ways you can get vaccinated.
Vaccinations are being carried out across a range of locations such as GP practices and health care centres.
Getting the vaccine
Vaccines will still be provided during national lockdown
You should attend your appointment if you have been given one. You are permitted to leave your home to get your vaccine.
If you have had COVID-19, you should still get vaccinated when you are invited to your appointment.
As people have to complete a course of two vaccinations and the programme will be delivered in a phased approach to ensure those most at risk are vaccinated first, it is not possible to choose one vaccine over another.
The vaccination centre your appointment takes place in will keep you safe from COVID-19 through a range of measures, including cleaning and disinfecting and having social distancing in waiting areas. Please also wear a face covering to your appointment. You should also take the usual steps to minimise your risk as you travel to your appointment.
About the vaccine
The Pfizer BioNTech and Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines are now available.
There is no material of foetal or animal origin in the Pfzier BioNTech or Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines.
The vaccines do not contain living organisms, so are safe for people with disorders of the immune system.
You can find out more about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine and how it's being delivered on the NHS UK website.
How the vaccine works
There is no evidence currently that the new strain will be resistant to the vaccines we have, so we are continuing to vaccinate people as normal.
The vaccine works by making a protein from the virus that is important for creating protection.
This protein works, in the same way as they do in other vaccines, by stimulating the immune system to make antibodies and cells to fight the infection.
COVID-19 Vaccine - Frequently Asked Questions
West Yorkshire vaccination centres
Vaccination centres will soon be opening at:
- The John Smith's Stadium, Huddersfield
- Spectrum Community Healthcare CIC, Navigation Walk, Wakefield
- Jacob's Well, Bradford
- Elland Road Stadium, Leeds