Andrew has provided the following update on the vaccine rollout.
Andrew reports:
The UK vaccine programme continues to go from strength to strength with the UK having the highest vaccination rate of any major country on the planet. Only a few small countries such as Israel are doing better. Approaching 20% of the entire UK population have now had the vaccine, compared to less than 3% in Germany for example. Our area has been ahead of most of the rest of the country in this.
The target of doing all over 70s, care home residents, social care and NHS staff and clinically extremely vulnerable people by Feb 15th looks likely to be hit. Up until now people have been asked NOT to contact the NHS. However, if you are over 70 and have not yet been called you SHOULD NOW contact the NHS to book an appointment via the national booking service at www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination. Those who cannot do it online can call a free 119 number, anytime between 7am and 11pm seven days a week.
From mid-February the vaccination of all over-50s will commence, starting with the over 65s group. Anyone in those groups should wait to be called and not contact the NHS at this stage.
Vaccines are delivered either through the GP network, some pharmacies, hospital hubs or via Mass Vaccination sites (of which more are opening soon). If invited to one of the Mass Vaccination sites, such as in Hull or York, residents can ignore this letter and wait to be called by their local GP instead. It is up to residents. We hope to have a Mass Vaccination site announced for Northern Lincolnshire shortly.
Emerging evidence also appears to endorse the decision of the UK's independent experts and Chief Medical Officers to delay the second dose to protect more people. The World Health Organisation's special envoy on vaccines recently explained that, 'these extended intervals seem to be associated with greater protection.'
