Are you looking forward to warmer weather and potentially a break away later this year or a festival you have been waiting for or the long-awaited chance to see friends you have missed?
Let’s hope 2022 will be the year we’re able to enjoy the summer without Covid-19 restrictions in place. However, it’s important to remember that if you’re not fully vaccinated, the virus could still halt your plans.
Being fully vaccinated, including having your booster, means you’re much less likely to be seriously ill from Covid-19. Don’t let the virus be the reason you are unable to enjoy that festival, wedding, or party you’ve been looking forward to. And don’t let it be passed on to your friends and family.
It’s important to remember many countries now require anyone over the age of 16 to be fully vaccinated before they are allowed to visit and, in some cases, this rule is extended to anyone over the age of 12. While for some countries, being fully vaccinated means having your first and second dose, for others it also means you must have had your booster vaccine as well.
If you’re planning a holiday and haven’t yet been vaccinated, make sure you can be fully vaccinated before you travel. The timescales for full vaccination are listed below:
- Aged 16 and over – 24 weeks for full vaccination. Your second dose can be given 12 weeks after your first and your booster, 12 weeks after that.
- Aged 12 to 15-years-old – 12 weeks for full vaccination. Your second dose can be given 12 weeks after your first.
If you catch Covid-19, you’ll have to wait another 12 weeks from the point of testing positive before you can have your vaccination. Don’t risk missing a long-awaited holiday, have your vaccinations as soon as possible.
Vaccination clinics continue to take place across Kent and Medway, including those for children aged between 12 and 15-years-old. You can book today at nhs.uk/covidvaccine or find a walk-in clinic near you at kentandmedwayccg.nhs.uk/covid19vaccine.
Paula Wilkins, Chief Nurse, NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “People across Kent and Medway have been fantastic in coming forward for their Covid-19 vaccinations, but we still have more than 260,000 eligible people who still haven’t yet had their vaccination.
“Although restrictions have been removed, having the Covid-19 vaccine is still required by many countries. The vaccine also reduces the chances of you getting seriously ill and passing it on to your friends and family.
“I’d urge those who haven’t yet had the vaccine or who haven’t had their second or booster doses, to get them as soon as possible, so that you don’t miss out during a summer that we’ve all been looking forward to.”