COVID-19 In Lewisham 4 November update
An additional route to access COVID-19 vaccination for 12-15 year olds
This week, I’m really pleased to share an additional way that residents can access COVID-19 vaccination for 12-15 years olds in Lewisham.
More than 1,000 consented 12-15 year olds in the borough were vaccinated at school before half-term, and a further 250 during half-term at a three-day vaccination clinic at the hospital.
And now the hospital is extending the offer of its existing vaccination clinics on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays to include 12-15 year olds. If you have a child aged 12-15 years who has not yet been vaccinated, you can now take them to one of the COVID-19 vaccination clinics held at University Hospital Lewisham on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays.
These clinics run 8am – 4.30pm in the Lessof Auditorium, Education Centre, University Hospital Lewisham, High Street, Lewisham, SE13 6LH.
You will need to give consent for your child to receive the vaccine at one of these clinics and can do this in two ways:
1) You can book a vaccine appointment for your child via the NHS National Booking System, giving your consent as part of the online booking process; or
2) You can accompany your child to the University Hospital Lewisham clinic on a walk-in basis, giving your consent at the clinic.
The COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. One dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is being offered to 12-15 year olds to help keep them safe and not miss school.
As well as offering vaccination to 12-15 year olds, the hospital’s walk-in clinics also offer first, second and booster doses to all other eligible residents.
If you have concerns or questions about COVID-19 vaccination, either for your child or for yourself, you can book a free, impartial and confidential conversation with a Lewisham healthcare professional in one of over 200 languages. Book online or by calling 07828 499044. You can also find Frequently Asked Questions on the NHS in South East London website.
Evening vaccination clinics for residents aged 16 and over
If you’re finding it challenging to access COVID-19 vaccination at one of our clinics during working hours, we now have three pharmacies in the borough currently offering the COVID-19 vaccine on weekday evenings. Residents aged 16 and over can walk in without an appointment to get their first, second or booster dose:
New Cross Pharmacy, Amersham Vale, SE14 6LD - Mon-Fri 7-9pm
Vantage Pharmacy, Conisborough Crescent, SE6 2SP - Mon-Fri 7-9pm
Lewisham Pharmacy, Lee High Rd, SE13 5PJ - Mon-Fri 6-8pm
Find more information on local walk-in COVID vaccination clinics in the Lewisham section of the South East London NHS website.
The importance of booster jabs
My final update is about COVID-19 booster jabs, which are available to residents aged 50 and over who received their second vaccine dose at least six months ago. If you fall into this group but have not yet received an invitation from the NHS to book a booster appointment, you can still go ahead and book your booster jab via the NHS National Booking System.
A recent study of more than 4.6m people in Israel aged 60 and over found rates of confirmed COVID-19 infection and severe illness were substantially lower among those who had received a vaccination booster dose than those who had not.
If you are aged 50 or over you are also eligible for a free flu jab. More people are likely to get flu this winter as fewer people will have built up natural immunity to it during the COVID-19 pandemic. Find out more about the importance of flu vaccination – and how to get it – via the NHS website.