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Vaccine update: issue 316, January 2021, COVID-19 special edition

Published 22 March 2021

Overview of 2020

This year promises to be another exciting and challenging one for the national immunisation programme. 2020 was without doubt a year of unprecedented events and the impact of the pandemic was felt by all of us, if not personally then certainly professionally. The national programme continued to be offered across the country despite the barriers that the situation created and although there has been a fall in uptake across the programme the efforts of all our colleagues ensured that this impact was reduced.

The delivery of the national flu programme achieved incredible results that we can all be proud of. It was amazing to see all the novel ways teams around the country found to deliver vaccinations, such as in car parks and grounds with the support from local providers and suppliers. It is clear the positive impact that vaccinators continue to have in making sure children and young people had access to their vaccinations.

So, what does 2021 offer? Clearly there is a great deal to do now that we have the vaccines that will help control this pandemic. It is both a challenge and a privilege to be involved in this extraordinary vaccination programme. So many are involved in this tremendous effort that will bring such important protection to our population.

We will all need to bring more focus to the important routine programme, when possible, so that we can ensure that we don’t see the return of the serious infectious diseases we protect against.

COVID-19 Green Book, chapter 14a

Chapter 14a in the Green Book has been revised with additional information to reflect the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approval of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The book also includes updated advice on pregnancy and allergies for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and the updated statement on scheduling from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

The JCVI recommends that both the AstraZeneca and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are safe and provide high-levels of protection against coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, including severe disease. As protection is obtained around 2 weeks after the first vaccine dose, the committee recommends that vaccinating more people with the first dose is prioritised above offering others their second dose. This will provide the greatest public health benefits in the short term and save more lives.

The committee has reviewed the safety and efficacy data for the vaccine and advises that for those most at risk of death and serious illness from COVID-19, both the AstraZeneca and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are acceptably safe and effective.

High levels of protection are obtained after the first dose of vaccine. It was updated on 21 January to include changes to the advice on timing of vaccine in those being given immunosuppressive treatments and further detail on history of previous allergies. It was then updated on 26 January to provide clarification around allergies.

The current evidence remains that increasing age is the single greatest risk factor. Therefore, the current recommendation is that groups continue to be vaccinated in the following order:

Priority	Risk group
1	Residents in a care home for older adults and their carers
2	All those 80 years of age and over, and health and social care workers
3	All those 75 years of age and over
4	All those 70 years of age and over, and individuals deemed clinically extremely vulnerable
5	All those 65 years of age and over
6	Adults aged 18 to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality
7	All those 60 years of age and over
8	All those 55 years of age and over
9	All those 50 years of age and over

This initial phase of the vaccine programme is estimated to cover around 99% of preventable COVID-19 deaths. The JCVI advises that vaccinating more people with the first dose is prioritised above offering others their second dose, to maximise benefits from the vaccination programme in the short term.

For the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the second vaccine dose can be offered between 3 to 12 weeks after the first dose. For the AstraZeneca vaccine, the second dose can be offered 4 to 12 weeks after the first dose. There are some data from the AstraZeneca vaccine trials suggesting that extending the time to the second dose may be better than having the second dose earlier.

Skipping the second dose is not advised, as the second dose may be important for longer lasting protection, however exact durations of protection are currently unknown. Evidence from Phase 3 trials indicate high levels of protection against serious disease and death from around 2 weeks after the first dose.

Professor Wei Shen Lim, COVID-19 Chair for JCVI, said:

The JCVI has considered the safety and efficacy data on the AstraZeneca vaccine and we are pleased to say that it is acceptably safe and effective – as with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. For both vaccines, high levels of protection are evident after the first dose of vaccine. JCVI advises priority should be given to the first dose, to maximise the public health benefits in the current situation and save more lives.

Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisations at Public Health England (PHE), said:

The recommendations from the JCVI and the MHRA provide confidence that the AstraZeneca vaccine has met the very high standards needed to roll out the vaccine. This, alongside the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, is yet another big step forward in tackling the virus. Prioritising the first dose will also help prevent as many deaths from COVID-19 as possible.

Once deployed, PHE will continue working alongside the MHRA to keep the safety and efficacy of the vaccine under constant review. The committee will publish updated advice following full consideration of Phase 3 safety and efficacy data on COVID-19 vaccines.

More than one third (34.6%, 1,036,605) of people aged 80 and over in England have received at least 1 dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as of 10 January, new surveillance data from PHE shows. Older people are more likely to die from COVID-19, which is why they are being prioritised for vaccination. Over 80s are in the second priority group after care home residents and staff, as recommended by the independent JCVI. A further 960,699 (1.7%) people under 80 have also had the first dose.

As well as uptake by age, PHE’s new weekly report includes a breakdown of coverage by region – which is the percentage of all eligible people who have been vaccinated. More high-quality data will become available in the coming weeks to provide further insight into groups where uptake of the vaccine can be increased.

Coverage is an important public health measure as it helps us to determine how well the population is protected as a whole and to look at where we should be focusing our efforts to increase uptake.

PHE will continue to monitor the long-term safety, uptake and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine. Data on under-vaccinated groups, the impact of vaccination on cases, hospitalisations and death, the effectiveness of the vaccine at preventing disease and transmission as well as the duration of protection will be published in future reports.

Dr Mary Ramsay said:

To have vaccinated over a third of all over 80s by this point in the programme is a great achievement and I want to pay tribute to all those across the health system who have made this happen. Although this sets us on the right path to getting back to normal life, we are not there yet and people must continue to follow the guidance that is in place to protect themselves and their loved ones. These data will help us to evaluate the protection from the vaccine and to effectively target the roll-out of the programme to help control the virus and save lives.

COVID-19 vaccine in pregnancy

There is no known risk with giving inactivated virus or bacterial vaccines or toxoids during pregnancy or whilst breast-feeding. However, the COVID-19 vaccines have not yet been tested in pregnancy, so it has been advised that until more information is available, pregnant women should not routinely have these vaccines

As a matter of caution, COVID-19 vaccine is therefore not routinely advised in pregnancy but there are some circumstances in which the potential benefits of vaccination are particularly important for pregnant women. This may include women who are at very high risk of catching the infection or those with certain medical conditions that put them at high risk of suffering serious complications from COVID-19 infection. In such circumstances, a woman may choose to have COVID-19 vaccine in pregnancy following a discussion with her doctor or nurse.

If a COVID-19 vaccine is given to a pregnant woman, she should be reassured that the vaccine does not contain live SARS-CoV-2 virus and therefore cannot cause COVID-19 infection in her or in her baby. Some COVID-19 vaccines contain a different harmless virus to help deliver the vaccine – whilst this virus is live, it cannot reproduce and so will not cause infection in a pregnant woman or her baby. Evidence so far reviewed by the MHRA, the UK regulatory agency responsible for licencing medicines including vaccines, has raised no concerns for safety in pregnancy (weblink 1). Further information is available on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines when given in pregnancy and in the Green Book chapter 14a.

The Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) has also reviewed further data for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as it has become available and has recommended the following changes:

Pregnancy and women who are breastfeeding

The vaccine should only be considered for use in pregnancy when the potential benefits outweigh any potential risks for the mother and baby. Women should discuss the benefits and risks of having the vaccine with their healthcare professional and reach a joint decision based on individual circumstances. Women who are breastfeeding can also be given the vaccine. This advice is in line with pregnancy and breastfeeding advice for the Oxford University or AstraZeneca vaccine.

Allergies

Anyone with a previous history of allergic reactions to the ingredients of the vaccine should not receive it, but those with any other allergies such as a food allergy can now have the vaccine.

Dosage interval

The advice has been updated to say that the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine should be given at least 21 days after the first dose.

Training and guidance specific to COVID-19 vaccinations

It is of vital importance that the COVID-19 vaccinator workforce receives comprehensive training and competency assessment in order that those who receive the COVID vaccines are protected and public confidence in the vaccine is established and maintained. PHE has published training recommendations and developed training materials to support training of the vaccinator workforce so that they are knowledgeable and able to confidently, competently and safely deliver the COVID-19 vaccine programme.

PHE has produced training materials to support the delivery of the COVID-19 vaccination programme

COVID-19 vaccinator training recommendations

COVID-19 vaccinator competency assessment tool

COVID-19 vaccine e-learning programme

The COVID-19 vaccination e-learning programme has been written by PHE and produced by Health Education England eLearning for Healthcare. It is of vital importance that the COVID-19 vaccinator workforce receives comprehensive training and competency assessment in order that those who receive the COVID vaccines are protected and public confidence in the vaccine is established and maintained. PHE has published training recommendations and developed training materials to support training of the vaccinator workforce so that they are knowledgeable and able to confidently, competently and safely deliver the COVID-19 vaccine programme.

The programme consists of a core knowledge session and a vaccine-specific session with accompanying assessment sessions for each. More vaccine-specific sessions will be added as and when more COVID-19 vaccines become available and authorised for supply in the UK. All those undertaking the e-learning should complete the core knowledge session as this is designed to provide essential knowledge about COVID-19 and the key principles of immunisation needed to deliver the vaccine. Learners should then complete the vaccine specific session(s) for the vaccine(s) they are going to give as these provide more detailed information. The assessment sessions should be completed after each knowledge session.

COVID-19 vaccination programme training slide set

The COVID-19 vaccination programme training slide set contains a collection of core slides for use or adaptation during the delivery of COVID-19 immunisation training. Trainers should select the slides required depending on the background and experience of the immunisers they are training and according to the role they will have in delivering the COVID-19 vaccine programme. Slides containing vaccine specific details (such as storage and reconstitution) on the first 2 COVID-19 vaccines to receive regulatory approval have been added to the end of this slide set. Details for other vaccines will be added as they receive regulatory approval.

Training guidance updated

On the 31 December 2020 the following updates were made:

• vaccine specific information about the COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca added
• advice about sixth dose from COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine BNT162b2 vial added
• pregnancy and breastfeeding sections updated
• revision of specific precautions to the COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine BNT162b2

On the 11 January 2020 the following updates were made:

• advice about additional dose from COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca vial added
• section about best interest decision added
• section on advice following immunisation added

Immunisation webinars for primary care immunisers

The adverse events following immunisation training webinar is available to view or download.

Green Book chapter 1: Immunity and how vaccines work

The Green Book chapter 1 has been updated to include information on how COVID-19 vaccines work and to include updates on the use of animal products.

Guide to the use of human and animal products in vaccines

The guide to the use of human and animal products in vaccines contains information on how vaccines are made and what human and animal products are used. This is a download only resource.

Printing and downloading resources

We provide a PDF of each file which you can print on a photocopier or printer, we do not recommend printing large amounts this way as we have stocks of all the items ready to order. There is also print ready file (with printers crop and bleed marks on) if you want to print large amounts locally.

As a result of the MHRA decisions and the license of the second vaccine, and the revision of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine we have revised the core leaflets and revisions to the core materials including the training guidance and slide sets, and the following leaflets have been revised:

1. COVID-19 vaccination – a guide for adults.
2. COVID-19 vaccination – a guide for women of childbearing age, pregnant or breastfeeding^{[footnote 1]}.
3. What to expect after your vaccination leaflet.
4. COVID-19 vaccination a guide for healthcare workers.
5. COVID-19 vaccination a guide for social care workers.
6. COVID-19 why do I have to wait for my vaccination.

Copies of the new version of the guide for women of childbearing age, pregnant or breastfeeding of the are available to order using product code: COV2020374V2. Stocks of all other leaflets can be used up and new orders placed to replace them.

Leaflets, posters, flyers, consent forms and invitation letters can all be downloaded and printed locally if necessary, but we do not recommend printing large amounts, just enough to cover the interim period until you receive your delivery.

Letter templates are also available as ODT and Word formats: Print ready files with crop and bleed marks for commercial printing are also available on Health Publications at the product codes next to the product names in the list below.

COVID-19 vaccination programme leaflets and posters

Resource	Who it is for	When it should be given	Where to use	Digital or paper copies	Product codes
guide for adult leaflet	or all older adults in first priority groups (care home residents and over 75s, later to over 65s and those at risk). This leaflet will be updated once the programme has reached the first 5 priority groups	in advance of the appointment, so that the adult can read and consider ahead of the vaccination appointment. It should also accompany any call and recall letters to these older adults	all settings and it should be included in any invitation letters	digital print ready and web ready files and paper copies available to order. Trusts and PCNs will be directly supplied with pack A to support vaccine supply delivery	COV2020351V2 or COV2020351V2LP for the large print version. Braille can be ordered: COV2020351V2BR. Translated versions are available to download or order.
guide for healthcare worker leaflet	for all healthcare workers eligible for COVID-19 vaccination	in advance of the appointment, so that the HCW can read and consider ahead of the vaccination appointment. It should also be accompanied by the leaflet for women of childbearing age, pregnancy leaflet COV2020374V2	all healthcare worker settings and it should be included in any invitation letters	digital and printed copies available	COV2020316V2. Translated versions are available to download or order.
guide for social care worker leaflet	or all social care workers eligible for COVID-19 vaccination	in advance of the appointment, so that the SCW can read and consider ahead of the vaccination appointment. It should also be accompanied by the leaflet for women of childbearing age, pregnancy leaflet COV2020374V2	all social care worker settings and it should be included in any invitation letters	digital and printed copies available	COV2020341V2. Translated versions are available to download or order.
what to expect after your COVID-19 vaccination leaflet	for everyone who has a COVID-19 vaccination	at both appointments	at point of vaccination in all settings with record card	digital and paper copies available. Trusts and PCNs are directly supplied with pack A to support vaccine supply delivery	COV2020307V2 or COV2020307V2LP for the large print version. Braille copies can be ordered: COV2020307V2BR. Translated versions are available to download or order.
why do I have to wait for a COVID-19 vaccination flyer	for patients asking about when they may be due vaccination	at any time	all settings including healthcare and social care setting, pharmacies and GPs	digital and paper copies available	COV2020308V2. Translated versions are available to download or order.
guide to COVID-19 vaccination – for women of childbearing age, those currently pregnant or breastfeeding	for all women of child-bearing age, those currently pregnant or breastfeeding	it should be given with the adult, healthcare worker (COV2020316V2) and social care worker leaflets (COV2020341V2) in advance of the vaccination appointment	all settings and it should be included in any invitation letter except to those aged over 65 years	digital and paper copies available. Trusts and PCNs directly supplied with pack A to support vaccine supply delivery	COV2020374V2 or COV2020374V2LP for the large print version. Translated versions are available to download or order. Braille can be ordered using code: COV2020374V2BR. Translated versions are available to download or order.
Get ready for your COVID-19 vaccination – empty section health and social care poster	to be used to show people where the occupational health clinic or temporary vaccination clinic is	to be used now to introduce the vaccination programme to patients, residents, health and social care workers	it should be displayed in all settings and the empty section at bottom left used to either write named contact at workplace, or clinic day, time and address details	digital and paper copies available. You can print it locally and write on the bottom left corner the location of the COVID-19 vaccination clinic day, time and location	COV2020332
Get ready for your COVID-19 vaccination poster – health and social care workers	to be used to announce the local implementation of the roll out to front line health and social care workers	to be used now to introduce the vaccination programme to patients, residents, health and social care workers	it should be displayed in all settings	digital and paper copies available to download and print locally or order	COV2020315
Get ready for your COVID-19 vaccine poster for adults over 65	to be used to announce the local implementation of the roll out to over 65 year olds	to be used now to introduce the vaccination programme to patients, residents, health and social care workers	it should be displayed in all settings	digital and paper copies available to download and print locally or order	COV2020312
COVID-19 vaccination record card	for everyone eligible for vaccination	at the first appointment	all settings	this card is supplied with each dose of vaccine :1:1. Digital (to download) and paper copies available to order (only if needed) 1 pack = 50 cards. If you need top up record cards, 4 packets = 200 doses.	COV2020311
I have had my COVID-19 vaccination sticker	for everyone who has a COVID-19 vaccination	at the first and second appointment	all settings	printed stickers available to order. 1 sheet contains 55 stickers	COV2020350

Consent forms and covering letters

The suite of consent forms below may be used by providers that wish to obtain written consent or submit their view on vaccination from relatives or carers. Accompanying cover letter templates are also available to download and can be adapted for local use.

	Consent / view forms and template letters	Who it is for	When it should be given	Where to use	Digital or paper copies	Product codes
COVID-19 consent form – care home resident who are able to consent	for care home residents who are able to consent	in advance of the appointment, so that the adult can read and consider ahead of the vaccination appointment	care home settings	available to download and paper copies available to order. Template letter is available to download in MS Word and ODT	COV2020365
COVID-19 consent form – attorney of care home resident	care home resident and adult with power of attorney	in advance of the appointment, so that the adult with power of attorney and the resident can read and consider ahead of the vaccination appointment	care home settings	available to download and paper copies available to order. Template letter is available to download in MS Word and ODT	COV2020367
COVID-19 best interests form – relative of care home resident	for care home resident and relative of care home resident, or friends, or if not available, carers, GP and or immunisation professional can also make a best interests decision	in advance of the appointment, so that the adult relative can read and consider ahead of the vaccination appointment	care home settings and should be provided with an invitation letter and older adult leaflet	available to download and paper copies available to order. Template letter is available to download in MS Word and ODT	COV2020368
COVID-19 consent form – healthcare worker	for all eligible healthcare workers	at point of vaccination	healthcare worker and occupational health settings	available to download and paper copies available to order. Template letter is available to download in MS Word and ODT	COV2020345
COVID 19 consent form – social care worker	for eligible all social care workers	at point of vaccination	social care, pharmacy, and vaccination settings	available to download and paper copies available to order. Template letter is available to download in MS Word and ODT	COV2020370
COVID 19 consent form – frontline social care worker	adult frontline social care staff in any setting including agency, providers of community care, home visits etc. There is also a invitation template letter to accompany this form	in advance of the appointment and at the point of service	in all social care settings including for agency remote working staff with frontline patient contact	available to download and paper copies available to order. Template letter is available to download in MS Word and ODT	COV2020408
COVID-19 consent form – adults (able to consent)	for all eligible adults	in advance of the appointment, so that the adult can read and consider ahead of the vaccination appointment. Or on the actual day of the appointment	all adult vaccination settings	available to download and paper copies available to order. Template letter is available to download in MS Word and ODT	COV2020376

Easy Read consent form and invitation letter for eligible adults will be published shortly and available to download.

COVID-19 publications (these must be ordered)^{[footnote 2]}

Only record cards and Patient Information Leaflets (PILs) are supplied with the vaccine, no other publications are supplied with either types of vaccines. Initial deliveries of the COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca will not be supplied with the PIL and should be printed locally. All other COVID-19 publications need to be ordered from the Health Publications.

Protocols and patient group directions

The current national protocols and patient group directions (PGDs) for COVID-19 vaccines are available to download. In addition to a PGD and national protocol for COVID-19 mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 (Pfizer/BioNTech), a PGD and a national protocol for COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca, (ChAdOx1-S [recombinant]) are available. A PGD and a national protocol for the COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna are in development.

Vaccine deliveries before stocks of publications arrive

Print ready files are also available from the Health Publications for local printing locally where you have vaccines but have not had a delivery of publications. We are have worked with NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE/I) to immediately supply all the Trusts and Primary Care Networks (PCNs) directly with waves of deliveries of publications. Individual Trusts, and PCNs can now place orders directly with Health Publications. Bulk orders need to made via telephone by calling 0300 123 1002.

For any future queries, please contact england.cov-primary-care@nhs.net or let people know that this is the email to contact with any queries about the PCN sites, hospital hubs, Trusts or also community pharmacy sites.

Translations and alternative formats

Accessibility is at the forefront of our provision. We will publish these as soon as possible. This is because the final master versions had to wait for final authorisation and approval of the second vaccine by the MHRA.

The process of translating leaflets has now commenced and we will be producing the alternative formats that will include the following languages:

Arabic, Albanian, Chinese, Bengali, French, Farsi, Kurdish, Gujarati, Hindi, Polish, Panjabi, Nepalese, Romanian, Turkish, Tagalog, Spanish, Somali, and Ukrainian. Urdu translations of all the core leaflets are now available to download and print or order as paper copies.

COVID-19 explainer videos are now available to download and share or link to on PHE Youtube channel.

British Sign Language videos are available to download or view

Updated British Sign Language (BSL) video versions of the main adult leaflet, what to expect after your vaccination and the guide for pregnant or childbearing age leaflet are now available and you can order all 3 as large print editions.

• COVID-19 vaccination: a guide for older adults BSL video - product code COV2020351V2BSL
• COVID-19 vaccination: what to expect after vaccination in BSL - product code COV2020307V2BSL
• COVID-19 vaccination: women of childbearing age, currently pregnant or breastfeeding BSL video - product code COV2020274V2BSL

Ordering clinical publications and resources

Record cards are supplied with the vaccine at a ratio of one dose of vaccine to one record card. You do not need to order record cards as they are supplied with the vaccine unless you have additional vaccine quantities, and require 200 more due to vaccine supply. In this case, order 4 packets of 50.

Please only order supporting resources if you have not received or do not already have a scheduled delivery of leaflets and resources from PHE via NSE/I. This will help ensure continuity of supplies.

All stock is subject to significant change and we cannot produce huge volumes of waste during this evolving process. For bulk orders please call the Health Publications order line on 0300 123 1002.

Register at the Health Publications website to place an order if required

You will need to create an account on the Health Publications. And then you can search for COVID-19 vaccination programme resources using the product codes listed above.

Note: if you view any of these items on the system now, they show as out of stock. Please ignore this as we are waiting for stock to arrive. You can still place an order now and it will be fulfilled as soon as stock is available.

Note: if you are not logged into the website, you cannot place orders. You can view and download files if required without logging in. Remember not to register as an individual as this is for members of the public who are limited to 5 copies.

Please do not order more stock than you have vaccines for.

More stock will be regularly available and a continuous supply of additional stock is essential. All resources may be subject to revisions and updates. Stock piling is not required and should be avoided. It is important to manage leaflet versions carefully and dispose of old versions as soon as the new ones are published and made available.

Vaccines for the national COVID-19 programme supplied by PHE

Vaccine availability

The vaccines currently available to order by the pre-agreed providers are in the table below.

Manufacturer	Vaccine name	Presentation	Storage
Pfizer/BioNTech	BNT162b2	Each pack of vaccine contains 195 vials with 5 doses per vial (975 doses per pack)	This vaccine requires ultra-low temperature storage (-80°C to -60°C)
AstraZeneca	ChAdOx1-S	Each pack of vaccine contains 10 vials with 10 doses per vial (100 doses per pack)	2°C to 8°C
AstraZeneca	ChAdOx1-S	Each pack of vaccine contains 10 vials with 8 doses per vial (80 doses per pack)	2°C to 8°C

Future vaccines

Further information on other COVID-19 vaccines, including vaccine availability, associated products, vaccine ordering and delivery schedule, will be communicated as soon as it is available.

Supply of vaccines to primary care network or practices

PHE/Movianto are not supplying COVID-19 vaccines to PCNs or primary care.

For queries about vaccine supply, ordering and delivery support, and supply of consumables and PPE, contact Unipart at CS@nhsvaccinesupport.com or by phone on 0800 678 1650, open 7am to 7pm, Monday to Sunday.

For all other queries and to escalate issues please contact the Regional Vaccination Operation Centre (RVOC) in the first instance:

• North East & Yorkshire england.ney-vacc-cell@nhs.net
• North West Covid-19.MVNW@nhs.net
• Midlands england.midscovid19voc@nhs.net
• East of England england.eoe-vacprg@nhs.net
• London england.london-covid19voc@nhs.net
• South East Programme england.se-covid19-vacc@nhs.net
• South East RVOC england.servoc@nhs.net
• South West england.swcovid19-voc@nhs.net

Supply of vaccines to hospital trusts or large vaccination centres

Who can place orders

Access to products will be for pre-authorised sites only. If you have a query in respect of access to COVID-19 vaccines, please contact england.spocskh@nhs.net and england.covidvaccs@nhs.net

Colleagues from Devolved Administrations please refer to guidance from your respective health departments for arrangements in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

How to place your order

All account holders will have access to the vaccine ordering page where you can order any number of packs up to your maximum pack allocation in one go or split over a number of orders each week.

Allocation of packs available to each site and which vaccine presentation is available in England has been determined by NHS England and queries concerning your allocation should be directed to england.spocskh@nhs.net and england.covidvaccs@nhs.net

When allocations are updated:

• sites in England will receive notification email from ImmForm confirming when their allocation has been increased and they can proceed to ordering
• sites in Scotland will receive notification email from ImmForm asking them to go to their ImmForm allocation report

When to expect deliveries

Vaccine and associated products are expected to be delivered on a next day delivery schedule Monday to Saturday for orders placed before 11:55 am.

• orders placed before 11:55 am Monday to Friday will receive next day delivery, Tuesday to Saturday respectively
• orders placed after 11:55 am Friday and before 11:55 am Saturday will be delivered Monday
• orders placed after 11:55 am Saturday and before 11:55 am Monday will be delivered Tuesday

There are exceptions to these schedules for some customers:

• Scottish customers in Shetland, Orkney, Stornoway, Fort William, Inverness and Wick will use scheduled delivery days agreed for the ordering of COVID-19 vaccines
• Jersey & Guernsey will receive 48-hour delivery but no deliveries Sunday or Monday

If you have any queries about the vaccine or associated products, please email COVID19PHEsupplies@phe.gov.uk

If you have any queries about ImmForm ordering, please call 020718 38580 or email Helpdesk@immform.org.uk

If you have any queries about deliveries, please call 01234 587199 or email NHS.VaccineSupport@movianto.com

AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (ChAdOx1-S)

What’s in your order?

Each pack of AstraZeneca vaccine ordered (whether 100 doses or 80 doses) will be automatically linked to 2 associated products which will arrive with the vaccine pack:

• PHE-issued vaccination record cards (2 packs of 50)
• Regulation 174 ‘Information for UK recipients’ leaflet (pad of 100)

Combined needles and syringes for administration of vaccine, including to those morbidly obese, are available to order separately. These can be ordered independently of vaccine.

Extra vaccination record cards can be ordered should you require. These are available in packs of 50. Please only order what you need. Extra copies of the Regulation 174 leaflet can be accessed on MHRA website and printed locally if required.

Important information on vaccine handling

The AstraZeneca vaccine will arrive in cardboard boxes under cold chain and should be transferred to a refrigerator immediately upon receipt of order, and stored at 2°C to 8°C.

Regulation 174 leaflets for UK recipients (in pads of 100) will also be contained within the box or in a separate box depending on volume of order.

Each box will have the address label, an orange chill care service label, and the white 2° to 8°C label.

One box from each order will have the despatch note that has details of the product, sku, quantity, batch and expiry (in the Documents Enclosed wallet).

Pack orientation guidance for both presentations – the mulberry-coloured base is the indicator of ‘which way is up’ the pack should be orientated during storage, with the mulberry-coloured panel at the bottom.

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine

What’s in your order?

Each pack of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine (195 vials) will be automatically linked to 5 associated products which will arrive with the vaccine pack:

• 0.9% sodium chloride diluent for injection (200 ampoules, box presentation will vary)
• 2ml syringe/needle for the dilution step (2 boxes of 100 units)
• Regulation 174 Information for UK recipients leaflet (box of 1200)
• PHE-issued vaccination record card (box of 1200)
• 1ml combined needles and syringes for administration (12 boxes of 100 units)

All the vaccine associated products will be delivered at ambient temperature.

These should be stored in a dry environment and kept away from sunlight.

Please order separately in addition if required needles for administration of vaccine to morbidly obese.

Thawing labels are now available to order via ImmForm. Orders are currently capped at 2 rolls of labels. Customers that specifically require an additional roll of labels are asked to contact the ImmForm Helpdesk for assistance at helpdesk@immform.org.uk – the rolls of labels were previously provided via separate arrangements between the NHS and Pfizer.

Important information on vaccine handling

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be delivered at ultra-low temperature, between -80°C and -60°C.

Vaccine packs will be shipped in isothermic boxes validated for up to 84 hours.

The isothermic box will contain a quantity of dry ice which will need to be disposed of following local protocols. The approximate weight of the dry ice will be a maximum of around 10kg.

Each external carboard box will have the address label, the class 9 hazard warning label and will be sealed with tamper proof tape.

The time and date of expiry of the validated storage timeframe will be clearly marked on the cardboard box, together with a Movianto customer helpline.

The vaccine should be unpacked and transferred to a suitable ultra-low temperature freezer as quickly as possible to ensure product is continued to be stored between -80°C and -60°C.

One box from each order will have the despatch note that has details of product, quantity, batch and expiry (in the Documents Enclosed wallet).

1. All stocks of COVID-19 vaccination a guide for women of childbearing age, planning a pregnancy, pregnant or breastfeeding with the product code: COV2020374 should be removed and recycled. ↩

2. Except large vaccination centres which are being sent resources from PHE. ↩