Croydon COVID-19 vaccination programme

Last updated: 12 October 2021

Are you or your child aged 12 or over?
Book a COVID-19 vaccination online now

If you or your child are aged 12 or over, a carer or have an underlying health condition, call 119 or visit nhs.uk/covid-vaccination to book your COVID-19 vaccination appointment.

Your local NHS is delivering the biggest vaccination programme in its history. Everyone has an important part to play to help us with this programme of work

  • The COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. They will give you the best protection against coronavirus.
  • It’s never too late to get the Covid vaccine. It’s safe and effective, but speak to your GP if you have any concerns.

Who’s being prioritised for vaccination?

Anyone aged 12 and over can now get their COVID-19 vaccination.

Find out who is being prioritised and why

What do you need to know about appointments?

When it’s your turn, you’ll be invited by the NHS to book an appointment.

Read more about how you will be invited for vaccination

Where can you get vaccinated?

The vaccination is being offered in a variety of places across south west London, including GP and pharmacy-led services, hospitals and community vaccination centres.

Find out where you can get vaccinated

You may also be able to have your first vaccination at walk-in clinics in south west London – but not everyone is eligible, so please check the clinic details before deciding to go.

Boost your immunity this winter

With two viruses in circulation, it’s more important than ever for those who are eligible to have the COVID-19 booster and the flu vaccines.

Find out if you can get a FREE jab and boost your immunity this winter! […]

Read More…

Local update

With two viruses in circulation this year, it is more important than ever for those who are eligible to have the COVID-19 booster and the flu vaccines this winter.

The COVID-19 booster programme is now taking place across South West London. The COVID-19 booster is an additional vaccine dose for those who have previously received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. It is for people who are the most likely to become seriously ill from COVID-19 to give them the best possible protection.  

It’s important to know that those people who need the booster will be contacted by the NHS when it is their turn. Booster vaccines can only be offered to people who have at least a six month gap from their second vaccination. When ready, you will be invited to get your booster by your GP and/or be contacted by the NHS to book through the national COVID-19 vaccination booking service.  

The flu vaccination programme is also up and running and helps protect from serious complications from getting flu. We would encourage people that are eligible for a COVID-19 booster to also get their flu vaccination. 

You can find out more information about eligibility and availability here: https://swlondonccg.nhs.uk/news/boost-your-immunity-this-winter/. We would appreciate your support in sharing this information with your networks. 

Read more in our weekly borough update

Highlight

After months of deliberation, Andrew Brown, CEO of the Croydon BME Forum got his vaccine at Selhurst Park.   Find out more about it by watching our video.

Watch more films about COVID-19 vaccination

Top questions

When enough people get vaccinated, it’s harder for a disease to spread to those who can’t have vaccines. Getting vaccinated protects not only protect you but also your family, friends, and community and It’s much safer for your immune system to learn to fight illnesses through vaccination than by catching and treating them.

All parents or those with parental responsibility are asked for consent and will usually make this decision, jointly with their children. The information leaflet is addressed to the child (as the recipient of the vaccine) and encourages them to discuss the decision about the vaccine with their parents.  Consent forms will be sent out electronically to parents and guardians ahead of school visits who will be asked to return them back to the vaccination team.  We ask and encourage conversations at home so parents and guardians talk about the vaccination with their children, and we will be happy to answer any questions they may have.    

In secondary schools, some older children may be sufficiently mature to provide their own consent. This sometimes occurs if a parent has not returned a consent form  on the day of the session. Our vaccination team will contact the parent or guardian to seek their verbal consent and without parental consent we will not vaccinate the child that day.  We will have conversations with children and their parents or guardians to answer any questions or concerns they may have as we fully appreciate the importance of this. This is a well established process which is used in other school-based vaccination programmes 

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. Co-administration will be considered if the patient is eligible for both programmes and supply and regulation allows. 

Booster vaccine doses will be available on the NHS for people most at risk from COVID-19 who have already had 2 doses of a vaccine. 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 

·       carers aged 16 and over 

·       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 

 

Discover more answers in our Q&A

Getting tested if you don’t have symptoms

Around 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 do not have any symptoms. You can get a free rapid COVID-19 test at a local site in Croydon, and get the results the same day, usually within 30 minutes. This is called lateral flow testing.

Find out more at croydon.gov.uk

Information in different formats and languages

You can translate all the written content on this website by using the language menu in the top right hand corner of this page.

Useful resources are available in many languages and formats, including British Sign Language, which will help you to learn more about the vaccine and how it’s being offered. The handy resources have been produced by the NHS, Public Health England and partners.

Explore the leaflets to find out more

Engagement with local communities in Croydon

We know that in Croydon some of our communities are less likely to take up the offer of the vaccine than other groups.

We’re engaging with local communities to give people the chance to ask local experts about the vaccine so that they can make informed decisions and we can understand any concerns they may have.

We continue to hear from our local communities about the vaccine roll out.

This month we have been engaging with local residents door to door and at local busy areas, having conversations about how to stay safe generally (testing, masks, social distance) as well as the vaccines. Thanks to the support of local event organisers trained sessional workers from Croydon Voluntary Action have been able to attend a number of social events and groups including the London Road Carnival, Crystal Palace music event and a community theatre event in Park Hill. Our own event at Lantern Hall for homeless people, asylum seekers and sex workers offered health checks and in addition to the vaccine.

We continue to hold information sessions with local frontline staff and volunteers, such as those working in soup kitchens so that they are able to hold confident conversations about the vaccine and other measures in place to keep people safe and to encourage people to take up the offer of the vaccine. If you are part of or know of a group who would like to attend a session, please contact jo.austin@swlondon.nhs.uk We have distributed information via food parcels through the summer holidays offering information sessions to anyone who has further questions.

Asian Resource Centre of Croydon and Croydon BME Forum continue to work with local businesses and to hold focus groups, particularly focussing on young people to help us plan a programme that works for local residents and to help understand how people are feeling about the vaccine.

Early September saw the return of learners at Croydon College and we were able to attend their enrolment sessions to answer questions and encourage young people to go to Centrale to get their vaccine before the start of term. We look forward to working with Croydon College, John Ruskin College and South Bank University in the coming months to make sure that young people are able to make an informed decision.

To find out more about engagement in Croydon, you can read the Croydon Communications and Engagement Plan. 

If you’d like to attend a local COVID-19 vaccination event or find out more, email getinvolved@swlondon.nhs.uk

COVID-19 news

Borough updates

For the latest coronavirus updates, and information from your area, please visit Croydon Council