There is a new chapter in Immunisation against infectious disease, also known as the Green Book, a vital guide for public health professionals administering vaccines in the UK. The new coronavirus (COVID-19) chapter includes:
- guidance on the storage, dosing and schedule of the vaccines
- provisional priority groups recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), to help the NHS with its deployment planning
- advice on vaccination of high risk groups
- guidance on potential adverse effects, which current evidence suggests are mild and short-term
The new training and information materials are designed to help train and inform the workforce who will deliver the COVID-19 vaccine. They include new COVID-19 vaccine e-learning modules, COVID-19 vaccinator training recommendations and a competency assessment tool.
Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisations at PHE, said:
Health and social care workers are highly skilled in delivering millions of vaccines every year, from flu to MMR.
They will be at the forefront of this exciting next step to help tackle the pandemic - our new guidance will support them in delivering any approved COVID-19 vaccines safely and at pace.
