Over-65s to start getting vaccinations after only 150 have jab in one day at Telford hub
Vaccinations are to be offered to those in the over-65 group after it emerged that Shropshire's largest mass vaccination hub had only seen around 150 people on one day this week.
The Telford International Centre had been vaccinating around 1,000 people a day, with the capacity to eventually reach 10,000, according to Telford & Wrekin Council Leader Shaun Davies.
But, it has emerged that only 150 appointments were booked in at the centre on Tuesday, with reports that some staff had been sent home because they were not needed.
The organisation in charge of the vaccination programme in the county has said that a "large percentage" of the top four priority groups have already been vaccinated.
It is thought that this may be one reason for the lack of bookings – that those in the eligible groups have largely received the vaccine, and that the National Booking System would not allow people under 70 to book an appointment.
Letters will now be sent out asking people over 65 to book in through another method – not the national booking service.
Government figures released last week show that 90 per cent of the county's over 80s had received their first vaccination.
Steve Ellis, Associate Director of Primary Care, NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG), has said they will be "directly contacting people next on the priority list to offer them available appointments".
That means those 65 and over – the next group on the priority list – will be invited to attend the centre for a vaccination.
Vital
Councillor Davies said it was vital that any spare capacity is used, to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible – including moving to the next priority group if needed.
He also called for a relaxing of the criteria of what is considered a "health care worker", and to widen the interpretation of those considered vulnerable and eligible for the jab – to get more people vaccinated.
Mr Ellis said: “In Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin we have had a strong start to our vaccination programme which has led to a large percentage of top four priority groups already being vaccinated at sites across the region, leading to fewer appointments booked on Tuesday at Telford International Centre than on previous days.
“The vaccination programme continues at pace, and as yet more people are invited to come and get their vaccine, we will carry on working flexibly to give patients a variety of opportunities to do this.
“And whilst we want everyone aged 70 years and older to contact us to get an appointment, we will be directly contacting people next on the priority list to offer them available appointments, to ensure there continues to be no wasted doses and jabs are offered to those who are most at-risk.”
Councillor Davies said: "We got off to a slow start but now, thanks to the fantastic effort of NHS workers, local government and volunteers, we have caught up with the regional average – and I thank everyone who has made that happen.
"However, other regions are pushing on with the over 65s, and are being more flexible with interpretation of what is a health care worker, and other areas like vulnerable groups.
"It is really important we use the capacity we have in Telford & Wrekin to vaccinate as many people as we can, as quickly as we can.
"TIC has a 10,000 a day capacity alone. It is currently operating at around 1,500, the council stands ready, as it has throughout this vaccination effort, to help our NHS partners ramp up the effort so more and more people can get the vaccination."
