People aged 50 years and older, residents in care homes for older people, those aged 5 years and over in a clinical risk group and health and social care staff will be offered a booster of coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine this autumn.

Who is being offered an autumn booster?

COVID-19 is more serious in older people and in people with certain underlying health conditions. This winter it is expected that many respiratory infections, including COVID-19 and flu may be circulating at high levels – this may put increasing pressure on hospitals and other health care services.

For these reasons, people aged 50 years and over, those in care homes, and those aged 5 years and over in clinical risk groups are being offered an autumn booster of COVID-19 vaccine. A booster will also be offered to front-line health and social care staff, those who care for vulnerable individuals and families of individuals with weakened immune systems.

The autumn booster is being offered to those at high risk of the complications of COVID-19 infection, who may have not been boosted for a few months. As the number of COVID-19 infections increases over the winter, this booster should help to reduce your risk of being admitted to hospital with COVID-19.

Timing of the autumn booster

You should be offered an appointment between September and December, with those at highest risk being called in first. You should have your booster at least 3 months after your last dose of vaccine.

If you are eligible for a flu vaccine, you may be able to have them at the same time – if not please go ahead anyway, you can catch up with the other vaccine later.

Click here for more information.

The NHS is calling for volunteers as it relaunches the Covid-19 booster programme ahead of the winter months.

The initiative will target those clinically at risk from the virus and people aged 50 and over, a total of 26 million people, NHS England said.

Volunteers are needed to help with the smooth running of vaccination sites.

Chitra Acharya, who has volunteered for the NHS in the past, said it’s an incredibly rewarding role: “I have particularly enjoyed doing my bit as a steward volunteer to help protect my community from Covid, and I have met some brilliant people along the way.

“I will be continuing in my role for as long as I’m needed as it’s one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.”

Here’s what you need to know, plus how to sign up.

What is the volunteer role?

The NHS is looking for people to become steward volunteers, which help at vaccination sites with non-clinical tasks, including moving patients through the process and identifying people who require additional support.

Shifts are flexible across a variety of centres around England. Expenses are covered and no previous experience or qualifications are required.

If you’re considering becoming a volunteer, you need to live in England, be over 18, and be available to do at least one shift per week, which is four hours long.

You also need to have a smartphone as tasks will be sent directly to your phone via the GoodSAM app.

When you turn up for your shift you’ll be given a full briefing, as well as a high vis jacket.

If you’ve volunteered before, you don’t need to sign up again. The NHS advises checking for shifts in your area via the app.

How do I sign up?

If you’re interested in volunteering, you can sign up on the NHS Volunteer Responders site.

Catherine Johnstone CBE, chief executive of the Royal Voluntary Service, said volunteers are a “huge asset” to the NHS.

“We are extremely proud of the tremendous contribution that they have made to keep our nation safe to date,” she said.

At the beginning of May, MHA Communities South London volunteers got together to create a kitchen garden.

They started with nothing but some compost and a pack of seeds. Since then, they worked very hard to support MHA Communities South London’s aim at
becoming more sustainable and to provide a space for the community to engage with nature whilst getting involved in gardening activities.

As of today, we are growing different varieties of vegetable and herbs: squash, southern kale, trail of tears beans, spring onion, chard and more but also fennel, parsley, coriander and more.

The development of the kitchen garden led to the creation of the Gardening for Wellbeing club where we help people living with Dementia, health and mental health conditions, and stroke survivors to access the benefit of gardening. What we grow gets used to prepare a healthy lunch for our members.

We would like to expand our kitchen garden and grow more vegetables to provide a weekly affordable lunch to elderly people living in the community.

Can you help us to help our local community?

We are looking for wood, containers, a glass house, polytunnel, anything that can help us develop our kitchen garden, and generate more activities for those in need and provide support to our local community.

Contact us at: MHA Communities South London at the Wilderness, 17 Shirley Church Road, Croydon CR9 5AL
Phone: 07597135220 – Email: southlondon@mha.org.uk

The Met Office has issued a red warning of extreme heat for Monday and Tuesday – the highest level – which covers an area including London, Manchester and York.

People have been asked to look out for vulnerable relatives and neighbours who may be suffering in the heat.

Met Office and Department of Health Advice:

• Stay out of the sun.
• Keep your home cool.
• Think about adjusting your plans for the warning period.
• If you do have to go out, wear a hat and sunscreen, keep in the shade as much as possible and carry water.
• Don’t leave people or animals in hot cars and keep a particular lookout for your family and neighbours, especially vulnerable people.

Be on the Alert for signs of Dehydration and Heat Exhaustion

The signs of heat exhaustion include:

• a headache
• dizziness and confusion
• loss of appetite and feeling sick
• excessive sweating and pale, clammy skin
• cramps in the arms, legs and stomach
• fast breathing or pulse
• a high temperature of 38C or above
• being very thirsty

The symptoms are often the same in adults and children, although children may become floppy and sleepy.

If someone is showing signs of heat exhaustion, they need to be cooled down.

If someone has heat exhaustion, follow these 4 steps:

1. Move them to a cool place.
2. Get them to lie down and raise their feet slightly.
3. Get them to drink plenty of water. Sports or rehydration drinks are OK.
4. Cool their skin – spray or sponge them with cool water and fan them. Cold packs around the armpits or neck are good, too.

Stay with them until they’re better.

They should start to cool down and feel better within 30 minutes.

How you can reduce the risk of dehydration

• Drink fluids when you feel any dehydration symptoms.
• If you find it hard to drink because you feel sick or have been sick, start with small sips and then gradually drink more.
• You can use a spoon to make it easier for your child to swallow the fluids.
• You should drink enough during the day so your pee is a pale clear colour.
• Drink when there’s a higher risk of dehydrating. For example, if you’re vomiting, sweating or you have diarrhoea.

To help prevent heat exhaustion or heatstroke:

• drink plenty of cold drinks, especially when exercising
• take cool baths or showers
• wear light-coloured, loose clothing
• sprinkle water over skin or clothes
• avoid the sun between 11am and 3pm
• avoid excess alcohol
• avoid extreme exercise

This will also prevent dehydration and help your body keep itself cool.

Keep an eye on children, the elderly and people with long-term health conditions (like diabetes or heart problems) because they’re more at risk of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.