Published: Thursday 6 January 2022
Updated: Monday 1 August 2022
Living with Covid-19
Vaccine validation
If you have been vaccinated abroad with one of the MHRA approved vaccines you can update your NHS record by booking a validation appointment on the national booking system or by calling 119. You will have to go in person, the nearest site is in CP House, W5 2ST there are some other locations in west and central London.
There are also several walk-in days in the Great Hall foyer at Kensington Town Hall, W8 7NX from 10am to 5pm.
You can walk-in without booking on:
- Saturday 6 Aug
- Saturday 13 Aug
- Saturday 20 Aug
Please bring these things with you to register your vaccinations:
- Your passport
- Proof of which Covid-19 vaccinations you have had and when
To have your overseas vaccination details added to your NHS Record you must be:
- Registered with a GP Practice.
- A resident (temporary or permanent) in England
- Over 5-years-old
- Vaccinated overseas (also includes Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)
with one of the vaccinations below:
- Oxford/AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria)
- Pfizer/BioNTech (Comirnaty)
- Johnson & Johnson (Janssen)
- Moderna (Spikevax)
- Institute of India (Covishield)
- Bharat Biotech (Covaxin)
- SinoVac (CoronaVac)
- Beijing Institute of Biological Products (Sinopharm BIBP)
You can also get your vaccinations at the town hall on the same Saturdays at the same times. The vaccination offered is Pfizer, so anyone aged five or over can get it.
Where to get vaccinated
The NHS is urging everyone eligible to get fully vaccinated against Coronavirus, and get the Covid-19 booster when eligible, in light of the increase in cases.
You can book your first, second or booster dose of the vaccine online by visiting the NHS website now or calling 119, free of charge.
You can also book or walk-in to a pharmacy or vaccination centre or visit our vaccine bus, which is at locations around the borough. To find out details about vaccination centres and pharmacies, visit our Coronavirus FAQ web page.
Covid vaccination for five- to 11-year-olds
All children aged five to 11 are able to get vaccinated using the national booking system.
Those who have a condition that means they are at high risk from Covid-19 or live with someone who is more likely to get infections should have been contacted by their GP to get a vaccine. If your child has not been contacted you can also use the national booking system to arrange their vaccination, or call your GP.
Covid-19 cases remain high among school children. Getting vaccinated continues to be the best way to protect you and your family from the virus.
You can get more information in a guide for parents of children aged five to 11 at higher risk from Covid-19.
Get tested
Limited ongoing free Covid-19 testing
There will be some limited ongoing free testing:
- limited PCR (symptomatic) testing available for a small number of at-risk groups, including patients in hospital where a PCR test is needed for their care, people eligible for community Covid-19 treatments because they are at high risk from Covid-19, care home residents and people living or working in some high-risk settings
- rapid lateral flow (LFT symptom free) testing will continue in some high-risk settings such as care homes, hospices and prisons and for people at high risk – if you are 75 or over or are 12+ and are immunocompromised. If you are in these categories you will be contacted directly
- rapid lateral flow (LFT symptom free) tests will continue to be available to buy from pharmacies and supermarkets, including online so that we can all manage our own risk and the risks to those we come into contact with
There are no PCR tests at Kensington Town Hall or the World's End Estate and rapid Lateral Flow Tests are no longer available at Kensington Town Hall.
Respiratory infection symptoms
If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, including Covid-19, and a high temperature or if you feel unwell, the Government are advising you to try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people, until you feel well enough to resume normal activities and you no longer have a high temperature.
Symptoms of Covid-19, flu and common respiratory infections include:
- continuous cough
- high temperature, fever or chills
- loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell
- shortness of breath
- unexplained tiredness, lack of energy
- muscle aches or pains that are not due to exercise
- not wanting to eat or not feeling hungry
- headache that is unusual or longer lasting than usual
- sore throat, stuffy or runny nose
- diarrhoea, feeling sick or being sick
If you test positive for Covid-19, please stay at home and avoid contact with others for five days.
You should also avoid meeting people who at higher risk of becoming seriously unwell from Covid-19 for 10 days after the day you took a test to make sure that you are no longer infectious.
Find out more about respiratory infections.