THE NHS in Gloucestershire is reassuring everyone who is eligible for a Covid-19 vaccine booster that they will soon receive an invitation from local services following the Government’s announcement on Sunday night (December 12).

In a special address to the nation from Number 10, Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed that all adults should be offered a booster by the end of December - providing they had their second dose at least three months ago - in an effort to limit the spread of coronavirus amid rising concern about the Omicron variant.

The local NHS is asking people not to contact their GP surgeries at this time as the "innovative" GP-led Primary Care Network work through options with health and care partners to deliver the "ambitious" accelerated programme.

The health service says the network, as well as the "well established" community pharmacy offer, means there is a "strong infrastructure" to work from, and leaders are confident that vaccination teams will once again rise to the challenge to ensure everybody who wants one is able to access a booster by the end of the year.

The NHS is reminding residents that there are three ways to book a vaccination in Gloucestershire - by appointment at a GP-led centre, via the national booking system at one of eight community pharmacies across the county, and at a drop-in clinic, which will continue at some vaccination sites throughout December.

A statement from the NHS Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group said: "This is an extremely busy time for local NHS services, and we are grateful for the public’s support, their patience and understanding as health and care staff continue to pull out all the stops to support the vaccination programme."

People are also reminded that they should not attend a vaccination centre if they have symptoms of Covid-19 or they have had a positive PCR or Lateral Flow test within the last four weeks.

For more information about vaccinations, including dates and eligibility for drop-in clinics, go to covid19. glos.nhs.uk.