COVID-19 vaccinations in Dorset

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Number of vaccine doses delivered in Dorset as of 03/10/21

The NHS is working extremely hard to deliver the COVID-19 vaccination to local people.

We have made very good progress in a very short space of time since the vaccination first became available. More than 1 million doses and rising have now been delivered in Dorset.

Thank you to everyone who has accepted the offer of the vaccine. There’s still time to get yours if you have yet to accept the offer, or have changed your mind. There are many options available to get your jab including walk ins.

We hope the information here about the roll out of the programme in Dorset is helpful. We will share more as information becomes available.

When will I get my jab?

We are delivering the vaccine in line with the national guidance issued by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

See link here to the national advice:
Read Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation: advice on priority groups for COVID-19 vaccination on GOV.UK.

How can I book my COVID-19 vaccine?

There are a number of ways you can book your vaccine. Walk ins are also now available.

Booking your COVID-19 vaccination

Walk in clinics

Where will I get my jab?

There are currently a number of ways the vaccine is being rolled out locally by the NHS, including:

Walk ins, people (adults aged 18+) can now walk in and grab a COVID-19 jab without needing to book an appointment in advance. Just turn up. Take a look at our walk in vaccine page – new locations and clinics will be added as they are announced.
GP-led vaccination services, which are now up and running across Dorset. Dorset’s primary care networks are offering vaccine. These services involve groups of GPs working together as primary care networks to vaccinate the most vulnerable to their collective patients in one location; this means that you may not be vaccinated by your local GP; you may be required to travel to a different site nearby to where you live;
Roving service with the vaccine being taken into care homes, and into people’s own homes if they are housebound and unable to attend a vaccination site. This is being co-ordinated locally with your GP service and you will be told when the vaccinating team will be visiting you;
A number of community pharmacies are also supporting the roll out and the vaccine to people.

View the current list of vaccination sites in Dorset.

King’s Park Vaccination Centre, Bournemouth is offering COVID-19 vaccinations for everyone aged over 16. The centre administers the Pfizer vaccine (also called Comirnaty) – anyone can have their first, second or booster vaccination at this centre. You can book your slot on the National Booking System or by calling 119. You may also be able to walk-in without an appointment, but this is dependent on sufficient supply being available.

Children & Young People

Anyone aged 16 and 17 can now book a vaccination appointment through the National Booking Service.

People aged 16 and 17 urged to get the lifesaving COVID-19 vaccine as NHS bookings open – NHS Dorset CCG

12-15 year olds: School-age vaccinations

More information about the schools-based COVID-19 vaccination programme is available on Dorset HealthCare’s school-age immunisations web page.

Last updated 07/10/2021

Find out more

Read our frequently asked questions or go to the national NHS website for more information on the coronavirus vaccine.

Reassurance from some of your local GPs, Nurses and Pharmacists

Some of our local GPs, Nurses and Pharmacists have shared some short messages to talk through their vaccination experience and provide some reassurance on the COVID-19 vaccine.

Frequently asked questions

Is the NHS confident the vaccines are safe? 

Yes. The NHS will not offer any COVID-19 vaccinations to the public until independent experts have signed off that it is safe to do so. The MHRA, the official UK regulator, have said that both of these vaccines have good safety profiles and offer a high level of protection, and we have full confidence in their expert judgement and processes. As with any medicine, vaccines are highly regulated products. There are checks at every stage in the development and manufacturing process, and continued monitoring once it has been authorised and is being used in the wider population.

Will the vaccines work with the new strains?

There is no evidence currently that the new strains will be resistant to the vaccines we have, so we are continuing to vaccinate people as normal. Scientists are looking now in detail at the characteristics of the virus in relation to the vaccines. Viruses, such as the winter flu virus, often branch into different strains but these small variations rarely render vaccines ineffective.

How can I get my jab?

There are currently a number of ways you can get your jab. Walks in allow people to get their jab without needing to book an appointment. See our walk in vaccine page for the latest walk ins that are available.

You can also book an appointment via the book an appointment via the National Booking System for a range of vaccine sites including community pharmacies and a network of large vaccination centres across the country.

Who is getting vaccinated now?

Vaccinations in England started on 8 December, with Margaret Keenan becoming the first person to be vaccinated in Coventry. Since then we have continued to follow the JCVI advice and vaccinate those most at risk first, and those who work closest with them – care home residents and staff, followed by people over 80 and frontline health and social care workers, then other people in order of age and risk.

In Dorset we have delivered more than one million doses and rising.

Find out the latest information on the national NHS website.

Are walk in jabs available?

Yes, there are walk in vaccine clinics where you can get jabbed without an appointment. See our walk in website for the latest list of walk ins.

Is there a central source of information about the vaccine and programme?

Yes, please see the NHS COVID website.

What can I do to help support the programme?

We’d be grateful for your support in sharing these key messages:

Accept the offer of the vaccine to protect yourself and others
Please have your second dose;
Encourage friends and family to accept the offer of the jab if they haven’t had the jab or have changed their minds – it’s not too late
Please attend your booked appointments.

Do the vaccines contain any animal products or egg?

The approved COVID-19 vaccines do not contain any animal products or egg.

Is there advice about travelling to your vaccination?

If you are required to travel to receive your COVID-19 vaccination, use your own transport or transport provided by someone within your support bubble. This will reduce your risk of catching or spreading the virus and reduce the risk to other people within your household or bubble. More travel advice is available here: https://www.dorsetccg.nhs.uk/advice-on-travelling-for-your-vaccination/

What advice is there for people once they have had their vaccine?

COVID-19 has not gone away, so it’s important to remember the actions you can take to keep yourself and others safe. Everybody needs to continue to act carefully and remain cautious.

Where can I get help to get to my vaccination appointment?

Anyone who needs support to get to their vaccination appointment can contact their council’s COVID-19 helpline for advice and information about local public transport, taxi services and community transport. Both Dorset Council and BCP Council are also offering support to those eligible towards the costs of a taxi journey to local vaccination appointments.

To speak to someone about the travel support available, BCP Council residents should contact the community response helpline on 0300 1237052 or complete the online form. Residents in the Dorset Council area should call 01305 221000 or complete the online form.