Covid-19 vaccines for direct payment recipients and personal assistants

How to get your Covid-19 booster

To access the scheme, you need to attend a GP practice or community pharmacy and identify yourself as a PA.

You may be asked to bring proof that you are a personal assistant and therefore eligible for a free flu vaccination. This proof can include:

  • a letter from your employer
  • an ID badge
  • a payslip.

We understand that personal assistants directly employed by a direct payment recipient will not have any of the above. If you require proof of eligibility letter, then you should contact the Direct Payments Monitoring team, email dp.monitoring@towerhamlets.gov.uk.

Choice of vaccine

You will be given a booster dose of either Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. These vaccines have already been given to millions of people in the UK. You will be offered the right vaccine for you which may be the same or different from the vaccines that you had before.

Like the previous doses, the vaccine will be given in your upper arm.  

Protection against severe disease from the first two doses seems to decline very slowly. So don’t worry if your booster vaccine is given a few weeks after the six month time-point. The booster dose should help to extend your protection into the next year.

 Booking an appointment

  • Most people will be invited to book an appointment by text message at a larger vaccination centre, pharmacy, or local NHS service such as a GP surgery. This should be at least six months after you had your 2nd dose.

People are contacted in cycles that can take up to two weeks to process. If you have not been contacted after this period it may mean that the booking system has not been able to reach you. In this case you should book via the alternative methods below:

  • You can book an appointment through the national booking system, if you are personal assistant, aged 50 and over, or clinically vulnerable.
  • Walk-in appointments are available at:
    • Queen Mary’s University London (Bancroft Road entrance), Mile End Rd, Bethnal Green, London E1 4NS. 11am to 6pm every day.
    • East London Mosque 82-92 Whitechapel Road, E1 1JQ. Every Tuesday, 10am - 5pm
    • Newby Place, 21 Newby Street, E14 0EY. Every Monday, 10am - 4pm
    • New City College, Poplar High Street, E14 0AF. every Monday, 10am to 6pm.
    • At local clinics in Tower Hamlets, set up by the council and local NHS. Appointments at local clinics can be booked through our online system https://forms.towerhamlets.gov.uk/service/book_a_covid_19_vaccination or by calling the council helpline 020 7364 3030 (Monday- Friday, 9am - 5pm).

General vaccination centre information will be kept up to date on the Tower Hamlets Council website.

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