AS the vaccination programme continues, people are being urged to remain vigilant over an increase in scams.

The COVID-19 vaccine is only available on the NHS and is free of charge. The health board confirmed they will never ask you for bank account details, passwords or PIN numbers in order to book or receive a vaccine.

If you receive an email, text message or phone call purporting to be from the NHS and you are asked to provide financial details, this is a scam.

If you have any doubts about a vaccination appointment you have received, contact the North Wales COVID-19 Vaccination Contact Centre on 03000 840004.

This comes as the booster programme is well underway and teams prepare to administer first dose vaccines to healthy 12-15 year olds next week

Ffion Johnstone, West Area Director, has given an update of who is eligible for vaccine doses and how they can receive their jab.

First and second doses

She said: "Those aged 16+ who wish to have a first dose and those aged 17yrs 9 months who are due a second dose, eight weeks after their first, can drop in to any of our walk in clinics without an appointment.

"Alternatively please contact our COVID-19 Vaccination Contact Centre on 03000 840004 to book an appointment. The lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm and Saturday to Sunday, 9am to 1pm.

"If you have any concerns about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, please still attend your appointment so we can take the time to discuss these with you before you make a decision on whether or not to go ahead with vaccination. Alternatively, please email our COVID-19 Vaccination Clinical advisors at BCU.CovidVaccineClinicalAdvisor@wales.nhs.uk.

"Advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on whether a second dose should be offered to those aged 12 – 17yrs 9 months is expected at a later date."

First doses for healthy children aged 12-15

The health board has begun sending letters to those in this age group, inviting them and their parent/guardian to a vaccination centre from Monday October 4th onwards. Young people in this age group will not be able to attend our walk in clinics.

There is no need for them or their parents/guardians to contact us to book an appointment as they will be invited by letter when it is their turn.

A parent or guardian will need to provide consent on behalf of the young person and accompany them when receiving their vaccination.

At this stage, there are no plans to vaccinate this age group in school-based clinics, but this will be kept under review.

It’s important that young people and their parents/guardian make an informed decision about vaccination, based on information from trusted sources, such as Public Health Wales.

Further useful information can also be found on the websites of the BBC, Public Health England, and the British Society for Immunology.

Advice from the JCVI on whether a second dose should be offered to this age group is expected at a later date.

Vaccination for clinically vulnerable children aged 12-15

Ffion added: "We are continuing to invite eligible children and their parent/guardian to dedicated vaccination clinics by letter and telephone call."

Booster Vaccines

The JCVI recommends that the following individuals should be offered a third dose COVID-19 booster vaccine, if a minimum of six months have passed since their second dose:

  • those living in residential care homes for older adults;
  • all adults aged 50 years or over;
  • frontline health and social care workers;
  • all those aged 16 to 49 years with underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19 (as set out in the Green Book), and adult carers; and
  • adult household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals.

Letter and text message reminders have been sent out to those eligible. If you’re eligible, please note that you will not be able to attend walk in clinics without an appointment, and there is no need for you to book an appointment. You will be invited by letter when it is your turn.

It will not be standard practice to give the Flu and COVID-19 booster vaccines at the same time, but there may be a small number of cases where timing and logistics allow us to do this.

Foreign travel and recruitment

Ffion said: "Before you book foreign travel, please check the vaccine requirements of the country or countries you plan to visit. We can only administer the number of vaccine doses recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

"Yesterday we held our latest recruitment event, which was attended by over 130 people. We look forward to welcoming suitable applicants into our COVID-19 vaccination teams in the coming weeks.

"Details of further recruitment events will be shared on our website and on social media."