Everyone aged 18 and over can now be vaccinated against COVID-19, so please don’t delay. You do not need to wait to be contacted by the NHS. You can book your vaccine using the National Booking System or you can attend a local walk-in clinic. You can find a full list of walk-in clinics here.
When you come for your vaccination, please bring a face covering, your booking reference or NHS number if you know it, and remember to eat and drink before your appointment.
You do not have to be registered with a GP or documented in order to have your vaccination. If you are in this position, please attend a walk-in clinic or contact a GP to book your vaccination, explaining your situation.
Vaccinating children and young people
The JCVI has recently advised that some young people and young adults should be offered the COVID -19 vaccine. This includes children and young people aged 12 to 15 years and over with specific underlying health conditions that put them at risk of serious COVID-19 such as:
- severe neuro-disabilities
- Down’s syndrome
- underlying conditions resulting in immunosuppression
- those with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD), severe learning disabilities or who are on the learning disability register
The guidance also includes children aged 12 to 15 years who are household contacts of persons (adults or children) who are immunosuppressed, and young people aged 17 ¾.
We are developing plans for how we will approach vaccinating children and young people in our area and will provide an update, on this page, once those plans are in place. If you or your child are eligible for vaccination we will contact you. Please do not contact your GP.
You can read the advice form the JCVI here.
A letter that outlines next steps is published here.
Second Dose Appointments
It’s really important that you attend your appointment for your second dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. The second dose gives stronger protection from a severe outcome from COVID-19, particularly against new variants of the vaccine such as B.1.617, which originated in India.
Please make every effort to attend unless you are ill with a fever or have symptoms of COVID-19.
Will my second vaccination be brought forward because of the more transmissible Covid variant?
In response to the more transmissible Covid variant that originated in India (B.1.617), we have brought forward second dose appointments from 12 weeks for people over 40 and people aged 16 to 64 with underlying health conditions.
You don’t need to do anything unless we contact you. Then:
- If you had your first dose at a GP clinic, your GP will be in touch to rearrange your second appointment.
- If you booked your appointment on the National Booking System, and you receive a text message asking you to bring forward your second dose, please visit the National Booking System and click Manage My Appointments to amend your second appointment. You can also call 119 to manage your booking.
Unless we contact you, please continue to attend your existing second dose appointment – there is no need to contact the NHS. We will let those who should bring their appointment forward know, when they are able to do so.
People under 40 will continue to get their first dose, with their second dose at 12 weeks.
Is it safe to bring my second dose forward? I thought 12 weeks was the optimum gap?
The change follows updated advice from the independent experts at the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which has considered the latest available evidence on the variant and has recommended reducing the dosing interval to help protect.
The decision has been taken in response to a more transmissible form of the Covid-19 virus that originated in India to ensure people across the UK have the strongest possible protection from the virus at an earlier opportunity.
The 12 week timeframe was put in place so that as many people as possible on the JCVI priority list could have their first dose of vaccine quickly. Evidence shows that 1 dose of vaccine offers good protection, but 2 doses are needed for longer lasting, higher protection.
Can I have my second vaccination sooner than 8 weeks?
In Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) we are following national guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) guidance between doses of all the available COVID-19 vaccines. This is currently an 8 week interval.
The only exception to the 8 week interval is people who are about to begin immunosuppressive treatment. These people will be known to their GP who can arrange for them to have their vaccine at an earlier date.
Please do not attend a walk-in clinic if your first dose was less than 8 weeks ago.
If you have clinical circumstances that you think mean you may be eligible to have your second dose sooner than 8 weeks, please email bnssg.massvaccination@nhs.net describing your circumstances and a clinician will review your case.
Safety of the AstraZeneca Vaccination
There have been reports of an extremely rare condition involving the AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clots, known as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST).
Around 4 people develop this condition for every million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine given and is seen slightly more often in younger people. CVST can also occur naturally and clotting problems are a common complication of COVID-19 infection.
As a precautionary measure, following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), we are offering eligible people under 40 who have not yet had their first COVID-19 vaccination, an alternative vaccine to AstraZeneca. For people in older age groups, the JCVI has stated that the benefits of prompt vaccination with AstraZeneca vaccine far outweigh the risks.
Anyone under 40 who has already had a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine and did not have a CVST blood clot, should still have their second dose of AstraZeneca when invited in order to have increased and longer-lasting protection from COVID-19. We know that two doses of the same vaccine provides over 90% protection from hospitalisation from COVID-19.
The risks from COVID-19 are much higher than the risks from the vaccine. For example, data shows that for every 100,000 40-49 year olds who contract COVID-19, 5.5 people will need Intensive Care treatment compared to 0.5 people who may experience harm from the AstraZeneca vaccine.
An increased risk has not yet been seen after other COVID-19 vaccines but is being carefully monitored.
This leaflet from Public Health England provides more information about the benefits and risks of the AZ COVID-19 vaccination.
What symptoms should I look out for after vaccination?
Although serious side effects following vaccination are extremely rare, if you experience any of the following from around 4 days to 4 weeks after vaccination you should contact 111 or your GP, urgently.
- a new, severe headache which is not helped by usual painkillers or is getting worse
- a headache which seems worse when lying down or bending over or
- an unusual headache that may be accompanied by: blurred vision, nausea and vomiting; difficulty with your speech; weakness, drowsiness or seizures
- new, unexplained pinprick bruising or bleeding
- shortness of breath, chest pain, leg swelling or persistent abdominal pain
Local Progress
In our area, we are making good progress with the vaccination programme and everyone aged 18 and over has now been invited to book their COVID-19 vaccination.
- Watch video: our local progress up to February 2021
- Each week the NHS publishes data on vaccinations. You can find the latest figures here.
- You can find answers to commonly asked questions about the vaccination programme in our Question & Answer section.
Local vaccination sites
In Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, we are taking a whole system approach to our Covid-19 vaccination programme. This means that our GPs, pharmacies, hospital hubs and mass vaccination centre are working together to offer eligible people a vaccination in the most appropriate setting possible.
Vaccination sites across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire include:
GP vaccination sites
GP Practices have been working together in groups called Primary Care Networks to provide the vaccine. Local vaccination sites run by GPs are located at:
- Kingswood Health Centre, Kingswood, South Gloucestershire
- Riverbank Medical Centre, Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset
- The Greenway, Greenway Community Centre, Southmead, Bristol
- Pudding Pie Lane Surgery, Langford, North Somerset
- Healthwest, Clifton College Preparatory School Hall, Bristol
- Bridge View Medical Marksbury Road Branch, Bedminster, Bristol
- Horfield Health Centre, Horfield, Bristol
- Brockway Medical Centre, Nailsea, North Somerset
- West Walk Surgery, Yate, South Gloucestershire
- East Trees Health Centre, Fishponds, Bristol
- Christchurch Family Medical Centre, Downend, South Gloucestershire
- Shirehampton Group Practice, Shirehampton, Bristol
- Portishead Medical Centre, North Somerset
- Severnview Family Practice, Thornbury, Bristol
- Stockwood Medical Centre, Bristol
- Concord Medical Centre, Little Stoke, Bristol
- Fishponds Family Practice, Fishponds, Bristol
- Knowle West Healthy Living Centre, Bristol
- Lodgeside Surgery, Kingswood, Bristol
Vaccination Centre @ UWE Bristol
Our new large-scale Vaccination Centre @ UWE Bristol.
Ashton Gate Stadium NHS Vaccination Centre
Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol is our local super vaccination centre which is vaccinating people from 8am – 8pm, 7 days a week.
Pharmacies
We have 11 vaccination sites run by local pharmacies:
- Superdrug in Broadmead, Bristol
- Bedminster Pharmacy (delivering vaccinations at Bedminster Methodist Church).
- Billings Pharmacy, Kingswood
- Ellacombe Pharmacy, Longwell Green (delivering vaccinations at Longwell Green Community Centre).
- Kellaway Pharmacy, Bristol
- Shaunaks Pharmacy, Redcliffe
- Boots Pharmacy, The Mall Cribbs Causeway
- Boots Pharmacy, Imperial Retail Park, Hartcliffe
- Boots Pharmacy, Weston-super-Mare High Street
- Sea Cadets, Sunnyside Road North, Weston-super-Mare
- Locking Pharmacy, Weston-super-Mare
Please be patient and kind to our staff at all times.
Do stay alert to the threat of the virus and follow Government guidance.
Mobile Vaccination Programme
As part of our Vaccination Programme, mobile outreach clinics are being carried out in the community in a variety of locations such as local community centres, mosques and temples.
If you have questions about a specific community clinic, please email bnssg.communications@nhs.net.
Walk-in clinics
We are operating walk-in clinics across our area to make it as easy as possible for people to have their vaccination. For a full list of walk-in clinics, please visit this page.
Further information