People aged over 80 have been sent letters from the government inviting them to register for the vaccination programme.
More than 4,300 island residents will be asked to take the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
Separate arrangements are being made for those in care or nursing homes.
Only those who are able to make their own way to Noble’s Hospital are being invited to register at this point, and further information will be sent to those who need support with travel or who are housebound.
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After they have registered, individuals will get an appointment call, which may come several weeks later.
Appointments will be released and filled on a rolling basis. The Department of Health and Social Care says that is to avoid wastage of vaccine and to maximise the health benefits for older and vulnerable people.
Two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine given 21 days apart are needed for optimum protection, and both vaccinations will be booked for patients in their appointment call.
Vaccinations are currently given at Ward 20, on the Newlands site at in Noble’s, where PPE and social distancing protocols are in place. Parking is available nearby and patients are directed to the reception desk when they arrive.
Minister for Health and Social Care David Ashford said: ’I urge everyone invited to register for a vaccination to do so, as the more people we have vaccinated, the greater our ability to fight back against Covid. The emergence of a new, more transmissible coronavirus variant makes getting a vaccination all the more important.’
But he added: ’I urge people not to ask for a vaccination before they are invited.
’This is the biggest mass vaccination programme we have ever undertaken and we will manage it in an orderly way, taking each priority group in turn. .’
The over-80s are the second priority group to be offered the Covid vaccine, following the roll-out to health and care staff, which began on January 4.
The priority list is:
lOver 80s
lOver 75s
lOver 70s
lAdults on the shielded patient list
lOver 65s
lAdults under 65 with long term conditions
lThose aged 50-64
The government said the first three priority groups will have had both vaccinations by early March, subject to the delivery of vaccine to the island per the schedule from the UK.
The Department of Health and Social Care said: ’The time frame for vaccination of these groups is dependent on vaccine being made available and delivered to the island with the programme schedule from January to September 2021.’