Internal vaccination programme

Our internal vaccination programme for EEAST staff has now been running for nearly a week, and in that time we have vaccinated approximately 1,400 staff – just over one-fifth of our workforce.

The programme is now open to all staff and partner organisations.

We appreciate that most staff will want to access the vaccine and we will do our utmost to deliver it to as many people as we can over the coming weeks.   

There are two paths to accessing vaccination:

External vaccination (Pfizer - BioNTech vaccine)
You can access the Pfizer - BioNTech vaccine at hospital vaccination programmes, mass vaccination sites and GP surgeries as a Health Care Worker.
Find out more on the Need to Know Vaccination Home Page.

Internal vaccination (AstraZenica vaccine)
We are running an internal programme of vaccination using the AstraZenica vaccine.
To book a vaccination at a site near you:

1.       Log in to Evolve (ensure you have your NHS number)

2.       Select ‘Course Directory’

3.       Then select ‘Covid Vaccination Programme’

4.       Select the area where you want to receive the vaccine.

 
Please only book one vaccination slot for yourself as you might otherwise prevent colleagues from being able to obtain the vaccine.

Vaccine side-effects
A small number of staff are reporting flu-like side effects such as fatigue, headache, joint pain, and feeling feverish. Generally, these symptoms resolve themselves in 24-48 hours without treatment.
If you experience these symptoms, please rest, drink lots of fluid and treat yourself with analgesics and/or antipyretics.

It is difficult to differentiate between a reaction to the vaccine and symptoms of COVID-19 therefore:

• If you have flu-like symptoms post-vaccine you will not need to stand down unless you are too unwell to work. If you do not have a temperature or any other of the three known COVID-19 signs you will not be referred for a PCR test.
• If you have a high temperature of 37.8 or above you will be stood down and referred for a PCR test through your manager or COVID Lead to rule out COVID-19.
  If the test result is COVID positive, you will need to isolate (as will your contacts) for 10 days from the date of symptoms developing.
• If you have not had a vaccine and you have a temperature of 37.8 then the normal COVID-19 guidance will apply: stand down, isolate yourself and your contacts and get a PCR test.

Due to the amount of stand-down being caused by queuing for vaccines, the Trust is asking you to access the vaccine at any facility in your own time.
To protect the service that we all deliver to our patients, the Trust cannot always support out-of-service stand downs for vaccinations.

Remember: when attending a vaccination clinic, you will be asked to provide your NHS number.
This can be sourced through NHS App, GP surgery, repeat prescriptions or hospital letters.

Please be assured the Vaccination Team is working hard to ensure all our people will be able to access the vaccine as soon as possible.

You can find all the available vaccination centres and the latest information on the Need to Know Vaccination Homepage.