Vaccines are the best way to protect ourselves and our loved ones from COVID-19, everyone should get their vaccination when asked.

Are you eligible for a vaccine? Have you accepted the offer of one? Have you kept to your second dose appointment?  Maybe you have missed the offer because you were unwell when called?

The offer of a vaccine remains on the table for those eligible, so if you are in these groups and haven’t taken it up yet, there is still time and our teams are waiting to vaccinate you and get you protected.

• Doctors and nurses have decided to get the COVID-19 vaccine. They recommend that you do too.
• Now we have the chance to return to the people and places we love. Let’s get our lives back again.
• The COVID-19 vaccination is the best protection against COVID-19. More than 460,000 people in Dorset have now received their first COVID-19 vaccine dose, with 647,677 doses delivered in Dorset and rising, and 33 million people nationally. When it’s your turn, you can feel confident that it is safe and effective.

To check that you are eligible and to book an appointment, go to nhs.uk/covid-vaccination or call 119.

If you are eligible but are not able to book through the national booking service, you can speak to your GP.

If you know a loved one, friend or colleague who is eligible, but has yet to accept the offer of a vaccine, please can we ask for your help in sharing this message with them today.

And make sure you come back for your second dose. A second vaccine is needed to boost immunity to the level needed for best protection against COVID-19.

Please remember, whether you have had your vaccine or not, please continue to follow all the guidance in place to control the virus and save lives.

Finally, we’d like to say thank to everyone involved in the COVID-19 vaccine programme in Dorset.

Thank you.

Dr Karen Kirkham
GP and Assistant Clinical Chair, NHS Dorset CCG

Sam Crowe
Director of Public Health for Dorset Council and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council