Unfortunately, Covid-19 cases are still causing illness, hospital admissions and deaths. According to the UKHSA dashboard, 2,622 people were admitted to hospital in the 7 days leading up to 28 September 2024.
The best way to avoid serious illness is to have a vaccination against COVID-19. The NHS are providing free vaccines for people who are 65 or over, pregnant women.
Free vaccinations are also available for anyone over 6 months old with a health condition that means they could become seriously ill from Covid-19.
Care home residents and frontline health or social care workers are also included in this list.
If you haven’t had a Covid-19 vaccination, or you need a booster and you’re not eligible for a free vaccine it doesn’t mean you have to go unprotected. VSM Pharmacy has a private vaccination clinic where you can have the Covid-19 vaccine as a private patient.
Under normal circumstances, the pharmacy uses a vaccine called Novavax. While there are stocks we will continue to use it, but as of the 1 January 2025 it is no longer available.
Nuxaxovid Xbb vaccine is no longer available for supply in the UK due to the existing batches approaching their expiry date. We do not expect to receive strain updated vaccines in the near future.
We are obviously anxious to provide our customers with a trusted alternative to the Novavax JN 1 vaccine. We have decided to use the Moderna Spikevax vaccine in the New Year, *but we will most likely be providing both – Moderna and Pfizer covid vaccines.
Spikevax can be used by individuals over the age of 6 months old. It has a well-tolerated safety profile, and more than 45 million doses have been administered throughout the world.
Adverse reactions to the vaccine are usually mild to moderate and only last a few days. Common reactions included:
You can treat the mild side effects like those above with over-the-counter painkillers like paracetamol.
Like all drugs, there are some risks of serious side effects. If you experience any unusual symptoms after having a Covid vaccination it is important that you seek medical advice immediately.
A rare side effect is anaphylaxis. Symptoms of anaphylaxis usually begin within minutes of a Covid vaccination. The symptoms include difficulty swallowing and breathing due to the swelling of the throat. If you have this type of allergic reaction, you might be given an adrenaline shot from an auto-injector like an EpiPen.
The NHS also reports an increased risk of Myocarditis after a covid vaccination, Myocarditis is the inflammation of the heart muscle. It reduces the heart’s ability to pump blood around the heart. Symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath and an irregular heartbeat.
Most patients who report these symptoms make a full recovery if they seek immediate medical attention. Make sure you tell medical staff if you have recently had a Covid injection.
If you have had a Covid-19 vaccine and you want a booster injection you need to wait until at least 3 months after your most recent dose. It consists of one injection of 0.5ml administered twice, one month apart. You can also have a Spikevax vaccine at the same time as the flu vaccination.
To book an appointment for a Covid-19 vaccination you can pop into the pharmacy and book a date. You can also book over the phone by calling us at 01276 21002 or fill in our online form and request an appointment.
You can catch Typhoid from contaminated food or water. If you’re plannning to visit a country where typhoid is a risk then protect yourself by having a typhoid vaccination at our Travel Clinic.
Tick bites from infected ticks in Europe and eleswhere can cause Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) and Lyme disease. Ticks are around
Copyright © VSM Pharmacy Limited. All rights reserved. vsmpharmacy.co.uk is a trading name of VSM Pharmacy Limited. Registered office: 124 Frimley Road, Camberley, Surrey, United Kingdom, GU15 2QN. Registered in England: company number 12182298.
