Aylesbury residents aged 50+ and other eligible groups urged to book their first COVID vaccination jab ​

Anyone eligible who may have initially chosen not to have the vaccine is also able to book an appointment if they have changed their mind.

Vaccine appointments can be arranged by booking online via the National Booking System, calling 119 or contacting your GP.

Everyone in the patient priority groups 1-9 – which also includes care home residents and staff – can now get a vaccine, whether they have been contacted by the NHS or not.

The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the European Medicines Agency and the World Health Organisation are all absolutely clear that the vaccines are safe and effective, and that people should go and get their COVID-19 vaccine when asked to do so. A further trial in the USA this week has also reinforced this.

Pregnant women who work with others or have a medical condition that puts them at higher risk of complications if infected with COVID, should speak to a healthcare professional. The vaccine will not pass COVID on to mother or baby, and breastfeeding is safe after having a jab.

Although there have been reports that vaccine supply may dip in the coming weeks, local vaccination services are currently operating as normal. All booked vaccination appointments will be kept, unless you hear directly from the service team to rearrange. Appointments for second doses of the vaccine have begun in Buckinghamshire and more will be getting underway soon. This means it is really important that as many first doses as possible are given to remaining patients this month.

Dr Raj Bajwa, Chair of NHS Buckinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “The vaccination rollout has gone extremely well, but we know there still a number of people in Buckinghamshire who are eligible for a vaccine but who have not yet had one. We really want to get these people their first dose vaccine as soon as possible, before we have to focus more on second doses for patients in April.

“I would also like to remind people that the vaccines we are using – both Oxford AstraZeneca and Pfizer – are very safe and have been rigorously tested. The benefits of the vaccine in preventing COVID-19, with its associated risk of hospitalisation and death, are very clear and we want as many of our patients protected as possible.”