A huge thank you to the NHS and other staff who have now delivered 200,000 doses of Covid vaccine since the start of the pandemic. Thank you for all your hand work.

Bury is now involved in two vaccination programmes:

Covid Booster Vaccinations
You will be invited to receive your booster vaccine six months after you had your second Covid-19 vaccination. You will also be offered the seasonal flu vaccination at the same appointment.

Please wait to be contacted by your GP practice. The Covid-19 booster and flu vaccinations are by appointment only.

Your questions answered about the Covid-19 booster vaccine and the flu vaccine.

First and Second Dose Covid Vaccinations
Vaccinations are available for everyone aged 12 or over. Children aged 12 to 15 will be offered a first vaccination at their school (check the Council website to see if there is something different in place over half term). Young people aged 16 and 17 can get first vaccination at the same clinics as people aged 18 and over.

• Second doses are offered at 8+ weeks after the first dose. Patients may be offered their second vaccine earlier but only to avoid wastage or because of a specific medical condition. Second doses will not be brought forward for the purposes of foreign travel.
• Children and young people aged 12 to 17 will be offered a single vaccine, in line with current guidance.

Full information and a list of drop-in vaccination clinics

Masks in Secondary Schools
Bury Council wrote last week to parents asking secondary school pupils to wear face coverings when moving around school, and to take regular home Covid tests if they live with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus.

The move comes as case rates have risen in the borough, driven in the main by outbreaks in schools. There have been more than 800 cases related to schools since the start of September.

From last Monday, secondary pupils will be asked to wear face coverings when moving around the school. Face coverings lower the risk of spreading the virus if someone has the virus but does not have symptoms. Pupils will not need to wear face coverings while sitting at their desks, while eating or when outside.

Adults who are double vaccinated, and children, do not need to self-isolate if they live with someone who has Covid-19.

However, all students and staff members who live with someone who has Covid-19 are now being asked to take a daily LFT test before coming into school (unless exempt from testing). Pupils should start this testing from the day their household member either became unwell with Covid-19 or tested positive if they did not have symptoms, and continue this for 10 days.

The measures are to last for four weeks, and be reviewed on 1 November.