Boots answers common questions about the coronavirus vaccine
The fight against coronavirus strengthens as more Boots stores offer the Covid vaccine from today. This includes pharmacies in Southampton, Chester and Chatham. Chief Pharmacist Marc Donovan has also answered people’s burning questions about the jab. “On the day of your vaccine, wear practical clothing so that it’s easy to access your upper arm,” advised Donovan.
“And remember to wear a face covering while travelling to, from and during your appointment.”
Locations of Boots stores offering the COVID-19 vaccine:
- Bristol
- Chatham
- Chester
- Halifax
- Huddersfield
- Gloucester
- Liverpool
- Southampton
- Southport
- Taunton
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Even after having the Covid jab, it’s imperative to follow precautionary measures, such as wearing a face mask, social distancing and washing your hands often with soap and water.
“Not enough information is currently available to say when we can stop taking these precautions,” said Donovan.
“Scientists need to understand more about the protection that the COVID-19 vaccines provide and how it affects transmission before making a decision,” Donovan explained.
Rest assured that the Covid vaccine will not give you coronavirus, but it could cause mild side effects, such as:
- Tenderness
- Swelling and/or redness in the arm
- Headaches
- Tiredness
“Despite the speed at which the vaccine has been developed and made available to the public, it has still been through thorough checks by the regulators,” emphasised Donovan.
The pharmacist stated the vaccine is “safe, with no long-term complications reported from trials”.
“It is critical in the fight against COVID-19 and I encourage everyone to take up the opportunity of the vaccination,” he added.
In order to receive maximum protection against coronavirus, everybody will need to receive two doses of the jab.
“The first dose helps the body begin to build immunity against the virus,” said Donovan.
“It can take a week or two for your body to build up some protection from the first vaccine.
“The second dose further boosts the immune response to ensure longer term protection.
“No vaccine is 100 percent effective, but it will help reduce hospital admissions and ease the pressure on the NHS.”
If you’ve already had coronavirus, do you still need to be vaccinated?
The fact that reinfection is possible, Donovan recommends that “you should still get the vaccine”.
However, there will need to be a gap between the positive test result and getting the jab.
“Experts do not know how long someone is protected for after recovering from COVID-19, as immunity varies from person to person,” said Donovan.
“Early evidence suggests natural immunity from COVID-19 may not last very long,” he added.
The Covid vaccination, on the other hand, “should provide longer immunity”.
Boots currently offer the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to those eligible for the jab.
Patients must be invited directly by the NHS to book their COVID-19 vaccination appointment at one of the participating Boots pharmacies.
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