Thousands of Covid jabs available for vulnerable
Thousands of appointments for Covid-19 vaccinations are still available at pharmacies, GP practices and pop up clinics across the South East.
Over half a million people in the region have received their jab as part of the NHS spring vaccination campaign.
NHS Sussex said the vaccination provided vital protection against different strains of the Covid-19 virus and helped to reduce the risk of serious illness and hospitalisation.
Caroline Reid, senior responsible officer for the Covid-19 vaccination program in the South East, is encouraging "all eligible individuals to book their vaccination to ensure they are protected".
According to the latest data, 526,432 people in the South East have been vaccinated against Covid since the beginning of April.
The vaccination is available to adults aged 75 and over, residents in care homes for older adults, and individuals with weakened immune systems.
Thousands of daily appointments remain available at pharmacies and GP practices, with walk-in appointments also offered at various locations.
To help people access the vaccine more easily, NHS Sussex is setting up clinics in community centres, sports halls, and other local venues.
Dr Samia Kidwai said that Covid was still in the community.
"It's really important we protect our health and the vaccine is one way to do that, particularly for vulnerable groups and those that are at a higher risk of becoming seriously unwell as a result of Covid 19," she said.
For more information or to schedule a vaccination, visit the NHS website, use the NHS app, or call 119.
Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.
Who can get an NHS Covid booster this spring?
Sussex Health & Care
NHS - Covid-19 vaccine
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The cost of caring for a loved one
It's Carers' Week, when we're encouraged to recognise the effort put in by unpaid carers looking after their loved ones. As more people live longer and need more care, it should also be a chance to consider what we'd do if we found ourselves in this position, and someone we love needed care. You might want to step in and help, so it's worth understanding the potential costs — from the extras you'd need at home to the cost of any lost income. In many cases, the whole family will need to have a frank conversation about how to support the person offering care, as well as the person needing it. If your family member needs professional care, the question of costs becomes even more pressing. On average, you'll pay about £50,000 a year for residential care and £66,000 for a nursing home, but the averages hide some big costs, and plenty of people pay well over £100,000 a year. You may be able to get some help from the state, but there's a process you need to go through first. It starts with a "needs assessment", done by your local authority, who will work out what care the person needs. Read more: How much does it cost to become a driver in the UK? Next you go through a financial assessment, which looks at the assets of the person needing care. If they're getting care at home, or they're in a care home temporarily, this assessment won't include the value of their own home. If they're going into a care home permanently, it may include their home, unless someone from specific groups also lives there. This includes a partner, any of their children under the age of 18, or a relative who is disabled or over the age of 60. In England, if they have assets of less than £14,250, the council may pay for care — although it will also take their income into account. If they have between £14,250 and £23,250, they will have to contribute to the cost of care, but if they have assets over £23,250, they'll need to foot the entire bill. If your loved one has complex medical needs, they should be assessed for NHS Continuing Healthcare. This can pay for all their care in some cases, but don't assume they'll qualify. It's not enough to have caring needs around the clock, they'll have to have very high medical needs too, requiring regular intervention from medical experts and professionals. If you end up needing to pay for care for someone, there are a few benefits that will help. If they are over state pension age, they could get the attendance allowance — or pension age disability in Scotland. However, this will barely scratch the surface of costs. It means you may need to speak to anyone in your life who might need care, to see what preparations they've put in place. A piece of research we did a while ago found that fewer than half of people thought their loved ones could pay for care from their savings. It means you should consider their pension too. A guaranteed monthly pension income will go towards the cost of care. If they're using pension drawdown, they may have money in their pension pot that can be used too. For younger people, this often makes sense as a way to save for your own care needs, especially if you're saving into a workplace pension and your employer is helping to build the pot. Read more: What is the Pension Investment Review? However, the value of the property will often need to be used. Some people will rent the family home out to cover fees, although this is risky because rental income isn't guaranteed, and will be depleted by maintenance and repairs. You can consider equity release to free up some of the value in the property, but this is expensive. There will be a set up cost, and usually any interest on the loan will roll up, and needs to repaid when the property is sold. There's also the option of a deferred payment arrangement with the local council, which is a bit like equity release, but run by the council and slightly less expensive. But for many people, the most sensible option ends up being selling up. You might pay fees from the lump sum as you go along, but it's worth considering an immediate needs care annuity instead. These pay a fixed amount to the care home every month for the rest of their life, and tend to cover the gap between pension income and the cost of care. Talking to your loved ones about care, and how they'd pay for it, is difficult, but it's a far easier conversation well in advance, when they have time to make a plan. It's much more stressful to try to discuss this at the point they already need care and are starting to panic about how they're going to pay for more: How to tell if you're rich Should people keep working until later in life? How to get your children to move outError in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Nurses to vote on pay deal as potential strike looms
Almost 350,000 nursing staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be asked to vote from Monday on a 3.6% pay increase. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has already dismissed the award as "grotesque" and says the vote will be crucial in determining the next steps which could include a ballot for strike action. A bitter pay dispute saw nurses striking in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from late 2022 and through the winter. Some members of other health unions also staged walkouts over pay. With the possibility of another round of industrial action looming, the vote is being billed as the biggest single vote by the profession ever launched in the UK. Ministers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland all announced pay awards following review body recommendations. There was a 5.4% average increase for resident doctors, formally known as junior doctors, 4% for consultants and other senior doctors, and 3.6% for nurses and other health workers. RCN General Secretary Professor Nicola Ranger said that the government had "once again put nursing at the back of the queue when it comes to pay". "Nursing is an incredible career, but despite being the most valued profession by the public we continue to be weighted to the bottom of the NHS pay scale and are set to receive one of the lowest pay awards." According to the Ranger, nursing staff in England have endured "over a decade of pay erosion", which has resulted in "skyrocketing" numbers of nurses quitting. "It is time to show that nurses are valued and, from today, hundreds of thousands of nursing staff working in the NHS will give their verdict on whether 3.6% is enough," Ranger will say. Resident doctors in England are already being balloted on strike action over pay. Other health unions are organising votes on the pay awards. All this may cast a shadow over a government 10-year plan for the NHS in England due in the next few weeks. The Scottish government has already agreed a two-year 8% pay offer with health unions.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Nurses to vote on pay deal as potential strike looms
Almost 350,000 nursing staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be asked to vote from Monday on a 3.6% pay increase. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has already dismissed the award as "grotesque" and says the vote will be crucial in determining the next steps which could include a ballot for strike action. A bitter pay dispute saw nurses striking in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from late 2022 and through the winter. Some members of other health unions also staged walkouts over pay. With the possibility of another round of industrial action looming, the vote is being billed as the biggest single vote by the profession ever launched in the UK. Ministers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland all announced pay awards following review body recommendations. There was a 5.4% average increase for resident doctors, formally known as junior doctors, 4% for consultants and other senior doctors, and 3.6% for nurses and other health workers. RCN General Secretary Professor Nicola Ranger said that the government had "once again put nursing at the back of the queue when it comes to pay". "Nursing is an incredible career, but despite being the most valued profession by the public we continue to be weighted to the bottom of the NHS pay scale and are set to receive one of the lowest pay awards." According to the Ranger, nursing staff in England have endured "over a decade of pay erosion", which has resulted in "skyrocketing" numbers of nurses quitting. "It is time to show that nurses are valued and, from today, hundreds of thousands of nursing staff working in the NHS will give their verdict on whether 3.6% is enough," Ranger will say. Resident doctors in England are already being balloted on strike action over pay. Other health unions are organising votes on the pay awards. All this may cast a shadow over a government 10-year plan for the NHS in England due in the next few weeks. The Scottish government has already agreed a two-year 8% pay offer with health unions.
