COVID-19 vaccination programme
Welcome to the COVID-19 Vaccinators pages. You will find a range of educational resources and information to support vaccinators at all levels of experience and those supporting the programme.
Navigating the site
Access this short video, which provides some hints and tips on navigating the site.
The following sections appear on this page:
Introduction
The resources have been developed by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) in partnership with Public Health Scotland (PHS).
The resources are designed to support:
- New immunisers (registered and healthcare support workers
- Returning staff (or redeployed staff) who may have participated in immunisation delivery previously but perhaps not for some time.
- Current and experienced vaccination staff.
These include foundation/generic resources such as the Promoting Effective Immunisation Practice (PEIP) programme for new immunisers. There is also a Knowledge Self Appraisal Tool which can be utilised by more experienced vaccinators to assess existing knowledge against the National Minimum Standards and core Curriculum for Immunisation Training (PHE 2018) to enable PEIP to be tailored to your specific learning needs.
It is recommended that you check the COVID-19 Green Book chapter 14a and your employers learning requirements prior to undertaking any vaccinations.
Please note: resources are continually being updated to reflect the changing guidance.
Updates
- 28.01.21 New Management of Vaccines at Very Low Temperatures Resource for NHS Pharmacy Departments and Vaccine Holding Centres available in the Vaccine Specific section of the Registered Healthcare Practitioner page.
- 01.02.21 New self-declaration checklist now available to evidence the learning completed from the TURAS Learn COVID-19 resources.
- Coming soon - learning resource for maternity services vaccinators.
How do I know what learning is relevant for me?
This learning pathway resource will help you to identify the most relevant learning materials to your role within the vaccination programme.
If you are a returning vaccinator, you may find the self-appraisal tool useful to find out what learning is most relevant to your level of knowledge and experience.
You can also follow the quick links below to take you to the pages for Registered Healthcare Practitioners, Health Care Support Workers and Trainers.
The learning resources are split into Core Knowledge and Vaccine Specific so that you can access what you need to support your development. This includes information documents that include frequently asked questions and Proficiency documents to support your sign-off as a vaccinator.
There is also a resources section that you will find links to key information resources like the CMO letter and the Green Book COVID-19 chapter.
As COVID-19 is an evolving disease, a lot is still being learned about both the disease and the vaccines which have been developed to prevent it and the knowledge base is still being developed. As a result, the resources will be updated and will be subject to change. It is a good idea to check into the site regularly and make sure you have reviewed the most up to date version.
Vaccinators should ensure that they follow local educational and clinical governance arrangements in relation to knowledge and proficiency to undertake vaccination.
Please get in touch with any queries at immunisation-resource@nes.scot.nhs.uk
Quick Links
Resources and links to support the vaccination programme
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The CMO letters set out the arrangements for the COVID-19 vaccination programme, please check as being updated regularly.
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Green Book COVID-19 Chapter provides information on the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines, the dosage and schedule for the UK and recommendations for the use of the vaccine. Please check the site for updates – last updated 31st Dec.
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Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) - advises UK health departments on immunisation. Updated guidance on the priority groups 30th Dec.
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Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) - producing guidance and information for industry, healthcare professionals and patients covering the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
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National Infection Prevention and Control Manual provides guidance to support infection prevention and control practices and procedures. Of note is the Addendum for Acute Settings and the newly added Community Health and Care Settings Addendum for the latest advice for Personal Protective Equipment.
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National Protocol - in order to ensure that there is a sufficiently sized workforce to deliver a COVID-19 vaccine programme, the changes to the Human Medicines Regulations (The Human Medicines (Coronavirus and Influenza) (Amendment) Regulations 2020), also brought about a new regulation (247A). While a disease is pandemic, regulation 247A permits the supply or administration of a medicinal product used for vaccination or immunisation against coronavirus in accordance with a protocol that is approved by ministers. Such a national protocol may allow specified classes of people, which need not be limited to registered healthcare professionals, to administer COVID-19 vaccine. A national protocol is being developed by Scottish Government and will be made available shortly.
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NHS Inform - Scotland's national health information service where you can access patient information in relation to immunisation. There is a COVID-19 section where you can access a range of information and latest leaflets.
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Nursing and Midwifery Council website has information for registered nurses and midwives involved in the administration of COVID-19 vaccines.
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Public Health Scotland website where you can access the latest Coronavirus guidance, information and activity in Scotland.
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Reporting adverse events that occur during the COVID-19 immunisation clinics: guide for clinic staff.
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Specimen Patient Group Direction (PGD) templates for COVID-19 vaccines have been developed and are available at Health Protection Scotland.
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New Waste Management at Vaccination Centres quick reference guide.
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Frequently Asked Questions resource on COVID-19 vaccinations for health and social care professionals developed by Dr Tom Fardon.
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COVID-19 Vaccinating Pregnant Women : Guidance for Health Professionals
- Scottish Government Communication : Vaccinations in Pregnancy
TURAS Vaccination Management Tool
The TURAS Vaccination Management Tool is a web-based tool that enables front line Health & Social Care staff to capture and create real-time patient vaccination records. The tool facilitates the digitisation and streamlining of real-time data sharing with downstream systems. The tool was developed by NHS Education for Scotland in collaboration with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS National Services Scotland and Public Health Scotland
- User guide
- Offline vaccination forms
- Vaccination Management Tool Drop-in Surgery Schedule
- Guidance for Care Home Vaccinations
- Guidance for GP Practice Vaccinations
- Frequently asked questions