"Vaccination of vulnerable children"

Despite the practice receiving an official guidance letter( to all GP Practices) on the 13th August 2021 detailing :

COVID-19 vaccination programme: actions for all practices to support vaccinating eligible 12-15 year olds.

The Elizabeth Courtauld practice ,acknowledging that my 13 year old daughter is eligible for the vaccine is actively frustrating our attempts to have her vaccinated before term starts by either referring us back to the 119 service ( which then refers us back to the surgery) or by stating that they are not aware and therefore cannot contribute / support the process to vaccinate vulnerable children. This of course is incorrect as the guidance letter ( referred to earlier ) clearly sets out their responsibility.

Which states :

Practices forming PCN Groupings that have opted out of vaccinating 12-15 year olds and practices that are not delivering the COVID-19 vaccination enhanced service should share a list of eligible patients with their local commissioner so they can arrange for these patients to be offered an appointment at another provider (eg another PCN-led vaccination site or Hospital Hub) by 19 August2021. This request is necessary for the reasons of public interest.

And that:

Practices are required to provide information to the local commissioner under the duty of co- operation requirement in their GMS / PMS / APMS contracts.

It is now the 24th of August and we are still no further in progressing the vaccination of my daughter.

Note: the reception staff have been excellent in trying to resolve situation. It’s actually the practice that appears to be frustrating the process by refusing to acknowledge any responsibility in progressing the vaccination request.

It is not acceptable that as a result of the practice not engaging with this process, my daughter and by extension her class peer group ( all clinically vulnerable) are not provided with the maximum protection that has clearly been afforded to them by the vaccination programme.