Rebecca Harris MP has welcomed the latest figures showing 33.8% per cent of people in Castle Point have now received a vaccine.
In total, more than 19.3 million doses have been administered to over 18.6 million people across the United Kingdom – equivalent to 1 in 3 adults. The vaccine programme is averaging more than 2.5 million doses a week, with new targets to offer the vaccine to everyone in the top nine priority groups by 15 April, and the rest of the adult population by the end of July.
As of 25 February, over 413,000 people across Essex county have received at least one dose and Castle Point has topped the South Essex table with the largest percentage of it's population having received at least one does of the vaccine.
Across Essex we have 34 GP-led vaccination services, 4 hospital hubs, 9 large-scale vaccination centres and 3 community pharmacies. New vaccination centres are opening every month, with a new site now operating in the Towngate Theatre in Basildon town centre, providing first and second doses of the vaccine. In more good news for Castle Point residents; Rebecca has been lobbying the NHS for another larger vaccination site in Castle Point for some weeks, and it looks like this centre will be opening very soon.
Rebecca Harris has also welcomed the Prime Minister’s roadmap to take cautious and irreversible steps out of lockdown, which will be guided by the data and not dates. Rebecca has commented:
“The NHS vaccination programme, the biggest in our country’s history, has been a fantastic success story and I want to send out a massive thank you to all of the NHS staff and volunteers who have been doing a fantastic job at the Paddocks and Benfleet Clinic vaccination centres already. You truly are on the front-line and I have heard nothing but glowing reports from very satisfied residents!
“It’s great to see that so many people in my constituency have received the vaccine as we lead the world in our fight back against coronavirus. We are defeating this virus by the hundreds of thousands of jabs going into people’s arms every day, giving us hope as we look to a route back to normality”.
The NHS has now offered a vaccine to everyone in the top four priority groups and we have now vaccinated two thirds of people aged between 65 and 69, after invites went out last week, with people aged 64 set to be called forward this week.
If you are not eligible yet wait to be contacted. The NHS will let you know when it's your turn to have the vaccine. It's important not to contact the NHS for a vaccination before then.
Please contact the NHS to book in your jab if....
- You are aged 65 and over
- You have previously received a letter saying you are at high risk from coronavirus (clinically extremely vulnerable)
- You are an eligible frontline health worker
- You are an eligible frontline social care worker
The easiest way is to do this is through the NHS National Booking Service, or if you can’t get online then you can call 119 or you can speak to your local GP practice. If you are at moderate risk from coronavirus (clinically vulnerable) the NHS will contact you to arrange your vaccination appointments.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has also announced this week that those on the GP learning disability register should be prioritised for a Covid vaccine.
People with a "severe or profound" learning disability in England & Wales were already in priority group six for the coronavirus vaccine, along with unpaid carers for those with disabilities and the elderly. All adults with Down's Syndrome have already been offered a jab, in priority group 4.
The NHS is being asked to work with local authorities to identify other adults, in residential care or receiving support to live in the community, who are severely affected by a learning disability and may not be registered, but who should be offered a vaccine.
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The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has now considered the evidence for Phase 2 of the UK’s COVID-19 vaccination programme.
Evidence suggests an age-based approach remains the most effective way of reducing death and hospitalisation from COVID-19. For Phase 2, modelling studies also indicate the speed of vaccine deployment is the most important factor in maximising public health benefits against severe outcomes. After groups 1 to 9 in Phase 1, people aged 40 to 49 years are at highest risk of hospitalisation, with the risk reducing the younger you are. Prioritisation will therefore continue in the following order, once all at-risk groups in Phase 1 have been offered at least one dose of the vaccine:
- all those aged 40 to 49 years
- all those aged 30 to 39 years
- all those aged 18 to 29 years
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UK Chief Medical Officers recommend that the UK COVID-19 alert level move from level 5 to level 4. The Joint Biosecurity Centre has agreed that the UK alert level should move from level 5 to level 4 in all four nations – proving that national restrictions are working in bringing infections down. This is welcome news and shows that the efforts and sacrifice of the British public is working in bringing down the rate of infection, helping to protect our NHS and save lives.
While cases and hospital admissions remain high it is vital we all remain vigilant and follow the rules as our historic vaccination rollout continues at pace. As the Prime Minister set out, we now have a clear plan and we hope this good news will further strengthen our nation’s resolve as we start to safely and cautiously reopen our economy. SEE THE ROAD OUT OF LOCKDOWN
