Community Vaccination Briefing

09/02/2021

03 February 2021

This is a briefing to provide information and resources in community languages to support ethnically diverse communities during COVID-19 and to provide factual information about the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme. If you want this briefing to be in any other community language, BSL, Braille or other format, then please get in touch with us by using our contact details at the bottom of this briefing.

Supporting People at their COVID-19 Vaccination Appointment

Where can I have my vaccination?

You will receive an invitation to book your vaccination appointment by telephone, text or by post and there are several places you can choose to go to receive your vaccination:

· Local vaccination services – these include the GP led or community vaccination services, and pharmacy led services in some areas- these will often be the nearest place to someone’s home to be vaccinated;

· Vaccination centres – these are larger centres which will be able to give the vaccine to large numbers of people as more supplies become available. Appointments are organised through a national service; people are contacted by letter which includes details in community languages. Information is included on how to book an appointment, which will include access to interpreting by phone. If you receive a letter from the national team and it is too far to travel, please don’t worry. Your local site will be in touch;

· Visiting service – the vaccine is being taken into care homes and into people’s own homes if they cannot attend a vaccination site; and

· Hospital hubs – larger hospitals across the country are offering vaccination to health and care staff.

In Crawley a new mobile vaccination site has gone live to reach communities that are vulnerable:

https://abcltd.org.uk/2021/01/28/local-gp-federation-launches-mobile-vaccination-unit-for-hard-to-reach-and-vulnerable-community-groups/#more-3542

What support is available for language needs?

Patients can self-refer for face to face interpretation at their appointment – please contact local interpreting providers:

If you have an urgent interpretation need you can contact:

info@vandu.co.uk

urgent@sussexinterpreting,org.uk

Telephone interpretation is available for those have language needs and do not have an interpreter. This will be arranged by the team where you have your vaccine.

Translated Materials

To support patients to have the correct information, the following leaflets have been translated:

· Vaccination consent form is available in 11 community languages

· What to expect after your vaccination guide for adults is available in 16 community languages

· Why you will have to wait for your COVID-19 vaccine in 16 community languages

· COVID-19 vaccination: women of childbearing age, currently pregnant or breastfeeding in 16 community languages

NHS England has also published a vaccination video in 10 community languages with what to expect, how the vaccine is given, and clear evidence that the vaccines work and are safe.

COVID-19 Vaccination Programme Contact Details

If you have any questions about the COVID-19 Vaccine, contact:

Sxccg.vaccineenquiries@nhs.net

FACT: COVID-19 kills up to 10 times more than the flu. Research at John Hopkins University indicates that COVID-19 is more fatal, impacts people for longer (up to 30 days) and spreads faster than flu. Claiming that COVID-19 is no more dangerous than the flu plays down the destruction this virus has brought to many lives.

Dispelling Misinformation

FACT: No patient so far has suffered from irreversible side effects from the COVID-19 vaccination- in trials or in the population. This myth was spread by misreading a presentation which actually said 3000 of those vaccinated suffered with temporary and reversible side effects.

FACT: The speed of approval of the COVID-19 vaccination was mainly due to cutting red tape rather than cutting corners. There has been worldwide scientific collaboration and funding to create the COVID-19 vaccine. This global effort has allowed scientists to work at record speed, and complete years of work in months.

FACT: There is no material of foetal or animal origin in either COVID-19 vaccine. All ingredients are published in the healthcare information on the MHRA’s website.

• The British Islamic Medical Association have produced a helpful guide for the Muslim community.

The Catholic Church offers reassurance messages that Catholics may “in good conscience receive any of these vaccines for the good of others and themselves”.

• The Church of England information on the vaccine isathttps://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2020-12/COVID%2019%20Vaccines%20update%20v1.0.pdf.

• The Hindu Forum of Britain has issued a COVID-19 Vaccine Information Guidehttps://twitter.com/hfbritain/status/1354512544321458179

If and when further vaccines are approved we will publish information about known allergens or ingredients that are important for certain faiths, cultures and beliefs.

FACT: The Covid-19 vaccine should protect you from becoming sick, but it won’t stop you from infecting other people. So, it is really important that you continue to remember hands, face, space. Wash your hands, cover your face and keep your distance from people. During the winter when people tend to spend more time indoors, it is a good idea to have a flow of air, for example by opening windows sometimes.

FACT: Unlike the flu jab, you cannot currently pay for a COVID-19 vaccination. COVID-19 vaccinations are part of the national NHS vaccination programme and the vaccines are provided free by the NHS. You will never be asked for your bank details to pay for it.

Accessible Information in Community Languages

Sussex Health and Care Partnership have published a page with helpful translated information around COVID-19 and the vaccination programme:

www.sussexhealthandcare.uk/keepsussexsafe/sussex-covid-19-vaccination-programme/translated-covid-19-resources/

To support people to access health care services during COVID-19 Sussex NHS Commissioners have produced a “Right Care, Right Place” booklet which has been translated into Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Farsi, Hungarian, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Simplified Chinese and Turkish

Sussex Interpreting Services (SIS) have developed pages in a range of community languages including; ArabicBengaliSimplified ChineseFarsiPolish and Portuguese to support people to find out information about health and social care needs. The pages can be accessed directly and easily from the SIS home page www.sussexinterpreting.org.uk and are being updated on a weekly basis.

Video resources

Celebrities have come together to counter disinformation about the vaccine amongst ethnically diverse communities by producing a short video :Meera Syal and Moeen Ali star in video urging BAME people to take vaccine | Coronavirus | The Guardian

Siphelile Williams is a proud Learning Disabilities Nurse and a proud Muslim woman. Here she talks about why the Covid19 vaccine is suitable for her and people of Islamic faith, as well as vegetarians and vegans https://youtu.be/NZOTKz2C_2I

Siphelile Williams, a Staff Nurse from Learning Disability Services, is currently working as a trained vaccinator at The Mount. She addresses concerns about the safety of the vaccine, its side effects and how she’s had to counter disinformation within her own family who’ve been worried about things they’ve seen onlinehttps://youtu.be/A2zgOsFjNZw

An expert team of NHS vaccinators answer some of your main concerns about the vaccine, including: Is it safe? Can it be trusted? What about allergic reactions and side effects? Does it contain animal products? Is it worth it?https://youtu.be/pHvu_b55Dk0

Mental Health Nurse Steve Dawson is one of our professional Covid19 vaccinators working at The Mount. Steve understands why people might be worried but says it’s now our best hope of returning to a normal lifestylehttps://youtu.be/b0_5DdJi_vg

Further information and links to support an informed decision

Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation – information on eligibility criteria for the vaccine:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/950113/jcvi-advice-on-priority-groups-for-covid-19-vaccination-30-dec-2020-revised.pdf

Information for UK healthcare professionals (Pfizer/BioNTech):https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/940565/Information_for_Healthcare_Professionals_on_Pfizer_BioNTech_COVID-19_vaccine.pdf

Information for UK healthcare professionals (Oxford/AstraZeneca):https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulatory-approval-of-covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca/information-for-healthcare-professionals-on-covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca

Priority groups for coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination: detailed information https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/priority-groups-for-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination-advice-from-the-jcvi-30-december-2020

Statement from the UK Chief Medical Officers on time between first and second dose:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/statement-from-the-uk-chief-medical-officers-on-the-prioritisation-of-first-doses-of-covid-19-vaccines

NHS Sussex Commissioners Public Involvement Team Contact Details

If you have any questions, or if you need this briefing in an alternative format, please contact the Public Involvement Team:

Email: sxccg.involvement@nhs.net

Telephone: 01903 708 411

Post: FREEPOST RTUZ-ECYG-ERRK

Attn: Public Involvement Team, NHS Brighton & Hove Clinical Commissioning Group

Hove Town Hall, Norton Road, Brighton, BN3 4AH

SignLive: Deaf British Sign Language (BSL) users can contact us between 09:00-17:00 Monday- Friday through the Video Relay Service (VRS) ‘SignLive’. Simply download the SignLive app, register your details, and search for NHS Brighton and Hove in the Community Directory. If the call goes to answerphone please leave a message, with your name and SignLive ID code and we will call you back as soon as possible.

Previous versions of the briefing can be accessed via the news section on the CCGs websites: NHS Brighton and Hove CCG, NHS East Sussex CCG, and NHS West Sussex CCG.