Covid Information Connectors: Edition 18

Hello everyone and welcome to Edition 18 of Covid Information Connectors! This initiative was commissioned by Derbyshire County Council Public Health and South Derbyshire Partnership and South Derbyshire CVS will co-ordinate it. We aim to circulate up to date and reliable information to communities and report back to Public Health with any concerns, issues or questions residents of South Derbyshire may have. A network of Covid Information Connectors is being created across South Derbyshire to ensure that residents from every community stay up to date with the latest official guidance and advice. If you would like to become a Covid Information Connector, you can register your interest here.

This bulletin provides information on the booster jab, transport to vaccination centres, vaccines for young people and much more.

NOTE - we can facilitate the printing of any posters or information you may wish to put up on local notice boards etc. We can arrange for printing to be done at our office in Swadlincote when someone collects post from the building, so please just let us know if there is anything you need.

Thanks,

Selina Waltho (CIC Development Officer)
Ben Marshall (CIC Digital Support)

A coronavirus (COVID-19) booster vaccine dose helps improve the protection you have from your first 2 doses of the vaccine.

It helps give you longer-term protection against getting seriously ill from COVID-19.

Who can get a COVID-19 Booster Vaccine?
Booster vaccine doses will be available on the NHS for people most at risk from COVID-19 who have had a 2nd dose of a vaccine at least 6 months ago.

This includes:

people aged 50 and over
people who live and work in care homes
frontline health and social care workers
people aged 16 and over with a health condition that puts them at high risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19
people aged 16 and over who are a main carer for someone at high risk from COVID-19
people aged 16 and over who live with someone who is more likely to get infections (such as someone who has HIV, has had a transplant or is having certain treatments for cancer, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis)

People who are pregnant and in 1 of the eligible groups can also get a booster dose.

If you're not sure if you have a health condition that puts you at high risk, see who is at high risk from COVID-19.

How and When to get Your COVID-19 Booster Vaccine
You'll be offered a booster dose at least 6 months after you had your 2nd dose.

The NHS will let you know when it's your turn to have a booster dose. It's important not to contact the NHS for one before then.

Most people will be invited to book an appointment at a larger vaccination centre, pharmacy, or local NHS service such as a GP surgery.

Frontline health or social care workers can book a booster dose appointment online. You do not need to wait to be contacted by the NHS.

People who work for an NHS trust or a care home will usually get their booster dose through their employer.

Who can Book Online?
You can book your COVID-19 booster vaccine dose online if you are a frontline health or social care worker.

You can also book your booster dose online if you have been contacted by the NHS and you are either:

aged 50 and over
aged 16 and over with a health condition that puts you at high risk from COVID-19

If you are not a frontline health or social care worker, please wait to be contacted by the NHS before booking your booster dose.

Book your COVID-19 booster vaccine appointment

Which COVID-19 Vaccine will I get?
Most people will be offered a booster dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine or Moderna vaccine.

This means your booster dose may be different from the vaccines you had for your 1st and 2nd doses.

Some people may be offered a booster dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine if they cannot have the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine.

COVID-19 Booster Vaccine and Flu Vaccine
Most people who can get a COVID-19 booster vaccine are also eligible for the annual flu vaccine.

If you are offered both vaccines, it's safe to have them at the same time.
Find out more about the flu vaccine here.

More information links:
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccination booster dose on GOV.UK

For more information see Joined Up Care Derbyshire website:
https://joinedupcarederbyshire.co.uk/public-info-covid-19/covid-19-vaccine

Other information:
COVID-19: Your guide to booster vaccination (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Book or manage a 1st or 2nd dose of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Book or manage your coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

If you're a resident of Derbyshire and struggling to get to your COVID-19 vaccine appointment or if you are in financial hardship and unable to meet the costs of travel to and from your COVID-19 vaccination appointment the Community Response Unit can help you to find suitable transport options.

Use this link Community Response Unit or you can phone on telephone number 01629 535091. The phone lines are open on Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.

Why should I have my child vaccinated?
The UK’s Chief Medical Officers all agree that while COVID-19 is typically mild or asymptomatic in most young people, it can be very unpleasant for some and one dose of the vaccine will provide good protection against severe illness and hospitalisation.

Vaccinating 12 to 15-year olds should also help to reduce the need for young people to have time-off school and reduce the risk of spread of COVID-19 within schools.

The COVID-19 secondary schools vaccine programme should therefore provide protection to young people and reduce the disruption to face to face education. This will help to keep young people emotionally well and happier and this was an important consideration for the Chief Medical Officers. Read more here.

The COVID-19 vaccine helps to reduce the chance of COVID-19 infection and provides good protection against serious disease. It may take a few weeks to build up some protection from the first dose of vaccine.

Is it Safe for Young People?

The medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), has confirmed the Pfizer vaccine is safe and effective for 12 to 17-year olds. This followed a rigorous review of the safety, quality and effectiveness of the vaccines in this age group.

The UK has also benefited from having data from the US, Canada and Israel, which have already offered vaccines universally to young people aged 12 to 15 years.

Please note:

12-15 year olds will be able to use the online national booking system for their 1^st dose – there is this caveat on the website ‘If you cannot book an appointment, please try again later.
Authorities are working to open up booking for all eligible 12 to 15-year olds by the end of Friday 22^nd October 2021.

For more information click here.

In the last 7 days, up to the 15^th October there have been 524 cases of COVID-19 identified by testing in South Derbyshire, at a rate of 488.5 per 100,000 population.

This is an increase from the previous 7-day period which reported 625 cases.
This is the third lowest number of cases, and the second lowest 7-day rate amongst the districts and boroughs.
In South Derbyshire most cases (95.0%) have been identified by Pillar 2 testing. - The average age of all cases was 33.6.
In the last 7 days 55.3% of cases have been female.
At MSOA level, the highest 7-day rate was in Aston-on-Trent & Barrow-upon-Trent (787.3), with the lowest rate in Swadlincote West (335.5).

As a Contrast - In Derbyshire:
As of 15^th October there have been 100550 cases of COVID-19 identified by testing in the Derbyshire County administrative area.

If you test positive you need to get a second confirmatory test and you can do this by telephone on: 119 or by booking a test online. You should self-isolate until you've taken this second test and had the results.

Derbyshire County Council’s testing centres are in different venues each day.

VISIT THIS LINK TO FIND TESTING INFORMATION IN DERBYSHIRE

Use this service to get a collect code so you can pick up rapid lateral flow test packs from a pharmacy.

If you’re 11 to 15, your parent or guardian must use this service to get a collect code.

How it works:

1. Get a collect code
Before you go to the pharmacy, use this service to get a collect code. This is a code that you need to show when you collect your test packs. You can create an account so it’s quicker next time.

You can also get a collect code by calling 119 (free from landlines and mobiles). Lines are open from 7am to 11pm.

We’ll send your collect code by email or text. You can print your code.

You can collect test packs for your household or another household. You must get a collect code for each household.

2. Collect your tests
Take your collect code to the pharmacy. Someone will record your code and give you the tests.

You need to get a new collect code for each collection.

3. Do the test
After you’ve done the test, you should report your test result. We’ll tell you how to report your result when we send your collect code. You can also find this information in the test instructions.

Get a collect code to pick up coronavirus (COVID-19) rapid lateral flow tests - Get a coronavirus test - GOV.UK (test-for-coronavirus.service.gov.uk)

If you need non-urgent information about mental health support and services that may be available to you:

Please call our Infoline on 0300 123 3393
Email: info@mind.org.uk
Find more information on our helplines page

Local Minds provide mental health services in local communities across England and Wales. You can find out if there is a local Mind where you live by searching our map.

Ways we can help:

Losing weight
Stopping smoking
Getting active
Online support
Mental wellbeing
Alcohol awareness
Healthy families
Falls prevention
Employment and finance

Telephone: 0800 085 2299 or 01629 538 200
Email: llbd.info@derbyshire.gov.uk

Why should my child have the Covid-19 Vaccine as they were not that poorly when they had Covid?

The overall take up for the vaccine in Derbyshire has been positive in children and young people.

Many children and young people are choosing to get vaccinated. They are choosing to protect themselves and their loved ones.

For any 12-15-year olds who were off school when the vaccines were done, how will they get theirs?

The advice is to contact the school to see if they are doing a ‘catch up session’, Please do not ask the GP as they will not know. There have been some national conversations regarding ‘mop up’ sessions.

How soon before symptoms start can someone infected with COVID-19 be contagious?

People who have COVID-19 can infect others from around 2 days before symptoms start, and for up to 10 days after. They can pass the infection to others, even if they have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, which is why they must stay at home.

I am eligible for a booster but have not had my other 2 doses, what should I do?

If you have not yet had either of your first 2 doses of the vaccine you should have them as soon as possible. You will still need the booster but the timing of it will depend on when you had your first 2 doses.

Authorities are awaiting further information from Central Government.

What are the current guidelines regarding wearing masks and using sanitiser in groups?

In relation to the wearing of face coverings, social distancing and hand sanitising, the current guidance indicates that this is a businesses’ personal choice, however organisations can make their own decisions around this, e.g. in a setting where clinically vulnerable people may attend they may want to encourage people to wear a mask, social distance and use hand sanitiser.

Universal Credit Support Update: Citizens Advice
All claimants will receive the following message on their journal over the next few weeks:

“You have been getting an extra £86.67 each month since 23 April 2020. This is a temporary increase because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This increase will end soon. Your payment on 23 September 2021 will be the last time you receive this amount.

Get help with managing your money in the 'How to manage your Universal Credit claim' guide: Help with managing your debt and money.”

The loss of this income will impact greatly on local residents. Support is out there, please contact us for how we can help people during this time.

To contact Citizens Advice Mid Mercia, you will need to telephone the free adviceline on 0808 278 7972.

FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Carers Rights Day – ‘Know Your Rights!’ 25^th November 2021

Derbyshire Carers Association (DCA) are here to support unpaid carers in
understanding their rights and provide access and signposting for wider support
services which may be available to them.

Each year Carers Rights Day brings organisations together to help carers in the local community to understand their rights and find out how to get the help and support they are entitled to.

DCA raises the awareness of the needs of carers and lets carers know their rights and where to access the help they need. They want carers to know how and when their rights are not being met and how they can challenge this. They want to empower carers with information and support, so they can feel confident asking for what they need.

Carers need to know their rights wherever they are in their caring journey;
whether they are in the workplace, in a healthcare setting, when interacting with
professionals or at home.

Carers Right Day is packed with all kinds of informative talks and
workshops which will help our Carers ‘know their rights’.

For all the latest news on funding opportunities across the district (and nationally), view our latest funding bulletin HERE.

Tell us about your experiences over the last 12 to 18 months. We would like to feature some real-life stories from the people in South Derbyshire (which can be anonymous).

Get in touch:
We would love to hear from you… Please email Selina at South Derbyshire CVS on selinaw@sdcvs.org.uk or call 01283 219761

Please contact us at South Derbyshire CVS if:

You have any questions or comments on Covid-19
You are looking for support, help or advice
You are part of a group and need advice, support or funding
You are interested in receiving more information on Covid related matters

Please call us on 01283 219761 or message us on our social media platforms.

Copyright © 2021 South Derbyshire Volunteer Force (Part of South Derbyshire CVS), All rights reserved.

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