Fact or Fiction

It’s important to be informed about the COVID-19 vaccine, but there is lots of misinformation out there about the COVID-19 vaccine. Make sure your facts come from a reliable source.

Sources you can trust include:

Public Health Agency: pha.site/vaccineinformation

NI Direct: www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/covid-19-vaccination-programme-northern-ireland

Public Health England: www.gov.uk/government/collections/covid-19-vaccination-programme

#mythbuster #COVID19vaccine

Do I have to pay?

The COVID-19 vaccine is free of charge.

The only organisations which will contact you about vaccination will be your local Health and Social Care Trust OR your GP. Please check any emails you receive come from a trusted source before you click on links.

We will never ask for:

• your bank account or card details
• your pin or banking password.

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Side Effects

The COVID-19 vaccination will help to protect those most vulnerable in our community. Like all medicines, vaccines can cause side effects. Most of these are mild and short term, and not everyone gets them. Read more at pha.site/vaccineinformation

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Can I still spread the virus?

Even if you've had the COVID-19 vaccine, it's vital that you continue to follow regulations. Read more at pha.site/covidvaccinewhatnext

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Which vaccine is best?

All of the approved vaccines are effective and safe. There is no ‘best’ vaccine. For more detailed information see pha.site/vaccination-questions-and-answers

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I have a health condition, is the vaccine safe for me?

There are very few people who cannot receive the vaccine. The vaccines currently available do not contain live virus, so are safe for people with problems with their immune system. People with allergies should discuss this with the vaccinator when they are invited to attend. For more detailed information see pha.site/vaccination-questions-and-answers

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Getting the vaccine is your choice.

It’s important to be informed about the COVID-19 vaccine, but there is lots of misinformation out there about the COVID-19 vaccine, make sure your facts come from a reliable source. 

Find out more about the vaccine at pha.site/vaccineinformation

Is the vaccine safe?

Vaccines go through several stages of lab tests and clinical trials before they can be approved for use. Regulators review the results of these trials to check whether a vaccine meets the required levels of safety and effectiveness.

Read more at nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/why-vaccination-is-safe-and-important/

#mythbuster #COVID19vaccine

Do the vaccines contain pork products?

Information on the contents of the COVID-19 vaccines currently being used in Northern Ireland is publicly available.

To find out more about the approved vaccines, see:

• GOV.UK: Pfizer/BioNTechvaccine for COVID-19 approved by MHRA
• GOV.UK: Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine for COVID-19 approved by MHRA

Find out more about the vaccine programme: pha.site/vaccineinformation

#mythbuster #COVID19vaccine

Fertility 

The @BritFertSoc have advised there is absolutely no evidence, and no theoretical reason, that any of the COVID-19 vaccines can affect fertility of women or men. People of reproductive age are advised to get the vaccine when invited.

www.britishfertilitysociety.org.uk/2021/02/09/bfs-arcs-covid-19-vaccines-fertility/

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Get tested if you have symptoms 

The COVID-19 vaccination will reduce the chance of you developing COVID-19 disease. It may take a few weeks for your body to build up protection from the vaccine.

Like all medicines, no vaccine is completely effective – some people may still get COVID-19 despite having a vaccination, but this should be less severe.

If you have the symptoms below, stay at home and arrange to have a test.

• a new continuous cough
• a high temperature
• a loss of, or change in your normal sense of taste or smell

Find our more at pha.site/cvtesting

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Katherine Walker

Paediatric and neonatal nurse, Cool FM presenter and former Miss Northern Ireland Katherine Walker, talks about why getting the COVID vaccine was important to her.

#COVID19 #covidvaccine #katherinewalker

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https://vimeo.com/508876313

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Teresa McClean, Registered Manager, Corriewood Nursing Home talks about the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine and shares her experience of the roll out of the vaccine in her nursing home.

National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) - How are COVID-19 vaccines being developed so quickly?

Dr Lindsay Broadbent, Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine  Queen's University Belfast talks about vaccine safety and effectiveness.

Belfast Trust nurse Joanna Sloan, the first person in Northern Ireland to get Covid-19 vaccine, shares her story.

Dr Alan Stout, GP and Chair of the GP committee, BMA, Northern Ireland talks about the COVD-19 vaccine.

Health and Social Care Board 

Frequently asked questions, GP Covid-19 vaccination programme- Health and Social Care Board

vimeo.com/503412373

Professor Louise Dubras, Foundation Dean, School of Medicine  @UlsterUni talks about the importance of vaccines

https://vimeo.com/503469701

https://vimeo.com/503469701

https://vimeo.com/507496064

South Eastern Trust

The Regional Vaccination Centre has now opened at The SSE Arena Belfast. 

What to expect when you attend.

Appointments will still continue at the Ulster Hospital. Information on which centre you are to attend can be found in your confirmation text or email.

Romanian

Dr Stefan Carter, Romanian Honorary Consul to Northern Ireland talks about the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine.

-Part 1: https://vimeo.com/528380142  

-Part2: https://vimeo.com/528390360

Slovak

Marcel Valko, ENT consultant at Antrim Hospital speaks in Slovak about the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine.

#COVID19Vaccine

Hindi 

Anita Yakkundi PhD, Research Associate-Network Coordinator, Northern Ireland Public Health Research Network (NIPHRN) talks about the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Southern Trust - Portuguese

Rovena, who is a Portuguese interpreter, says that she got the COVID vaccine "for the safety of all of those I work and interact with. I’d like to encourage you to do the same."

Rovena Bassett (Portuguese translation)

Western Trust - BAME

Dr Mukesh Chugh, Consultant Anaesthetist at the Western Health and Social Care Trust, encourages people from ethnic minorities to take up the COVID-19 vaccine when offered. 

Western Trust - Arabic

Dr Ahmed Marzouk, Consultant Surgeon 

vimeo.com/535803369/3f9c882804

Western Trust - Hindi

Dr Mukesh Chugh, Consultant Anaesthetist 

Western Trust - Punjabi

Dr Salman Siddiqui - Consultant Radiologist 

Western Trust - Bengali

Gautam Mukherjee - Medical Physicist 

Western Trust - Filipino

Kathreen Lelis, Nurse

Vaccination is the most important thing you can do to protect your community against serious illnesses.When enough people get vaccinated, it’s harder for a disease to spread to those who can’t have vaccines.Read morehttps://nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/why-vaccination-is-safe-and-important/

Vaccines are a crucial part of our defence against infectious diseases like flu and measles.Getting vaccinated protects not only you, but also your family, friends and community.Retweet to share the facts about vaccines.More info https://nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/why-vaccination-is-safe-and-important/

Vaccines are the best way to protect children from serious infectious diseases like measles, mumps and rubella. All vaccines are tested and monitored to make sure they are safe for your child.Read more:https://nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/why-vaccination-is-safe-and-important/

Vaccines are designed to prevent people from getting serious infectious diseases.It is much safer for your immune system to learn how to fight illnesses through vaccination than by catching and treating them.Read more: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/why-vaccination-is-safe-and-important/

Vaccines go through several stages of lab tests and clinical trials before they can be approved for use.Regulators review the results of these trials to check whether a vaccine meets the required levels of safety and effectiveness.More info:https://nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/why-vaccination-is-safe-and-important/

After any vaccine is licensed for use in the UK, it is monitored by the @MHRAgovuk. This is an important part of making sure vaccines continue to meet safety standards on an ongoing basis.Find out more: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/why-vaccination-is-safe-and-important/

It’s much safer

It’s much safer for your immune system to learn how to protect itself through a vaccine than by catching the virus. Read more about how vaccination works https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/why-vaccination-is-safe-and-important/

Simple Guide 

The PHA has published a simple guide to the COVID-19 vaccine and its available to download here: pha.site/covid19simpleguide

Materials in different languages

COVID-19 information materials are available online at http://pha.site/vaccineinformation  They are available in a range of languages using the Browsealoud facility on the PHA website.

Why do I have to wait?

To find out who is eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccines in Northern Ireland and why some groups of people will receive the vaccines sooner than others, based on the recommendations of the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), click here pha.site/covidvaccinewhywait

Continue to follow public health advice

Even if you've had the COVID-19 vaccine, it's vital that you continue to follow regulations.

Remember after getting the vaccine, you must still:

✔ practise social distancing
✔ wear a face covering
✔ wash your hands

Info at www.pha.site/covidvaccinewhatnext

COVID-19 Vaccine & Breastfeeding

For COVID-19 vaccine information for women who are breastfeeding, see www.pha.site/covidvaccinepregnant

To find the latest information about pregnancy, breastfeeding and COVID-19 at
www.ni-maternity.com

If you have booked an online COVID-19 vaccination appointment it’s important to keep it.

The COVID-19 vaccination involves 2 injections, ten weeks apart. When you book your first appointment, you will also get a date for your second appointment.

If you can no longer attend you can cancel your appointment at vaccinations.covid-19.hscni.net/info

*Please note you cannot cancel your appointment via the booking line.

By cancelling your appointment this will allow someone else who is eligible to take your place.

#COVID19 #covidvaccine

Booking

Are you over 45 or know someone who is? Over 45s can book their COVID-19 vaccine online at https://covid-19.hscni.net/get-vaccinated/ Book now.