Most vulnerable will be vaccinated by this weekend
NURSES and GPS in the south of the Derbyshire Dales are due to vaccinate all of their first four cohorts of patients by the end of this week.
Care home residents and carers, over 80s and social care workers, over 75s and over 70s and clinically extremely vulnerable patients should all have been innoculated by the weekend, according to Dr Penny Blackwell, who is helping to co-ordinate the effort from Wirksworth’s Hannage Brook Medical Centre.
Dr Blackwell says nurses may be able to start “dipping into” the over65 groups this week, if sufficient vaccine stocks are delivered.
Some people in the top four cohorts, she added, may not have had a coronavirus vaccine yet, she added, because they might have been unwell or within 28 days of a Covid-19 infection – so these people will be contacted first, she added.
In an announcement to patients in the South of the Derbyshire Dales on Sunday, Dr Blackwell explained that they were expecting two types of vaccine to arrive this week.
She said: “We’ve got both Phizer and Astra-zeneca vaccine coming to us in the South Dales this week, on two separate dates.
“The Pfizer vaccine will have to be delivered again from St Oswald’s, and the Astrazeneca from practices.
“We don’t have a choice about what vaccine we get, and at none of the sites will you have a choice about which vaccine you’re offered.”
Derbyshire Dales MP Sarah Dines says she has been closely monitoring the district’s roll-out and keeping up-to-date with figures.
She praised the “extraordinary effort” of all the workers and volunteers who have been ensuring the jabs are given to the area’s most vulnerable people.
Ms Dines said: “To say I am pleased with how the vaccinations are progressing, not only in the Derbyshire Dales, but the country as a whole, is an understatement.
“The effort of everyone involved is extraordinary. Locally, we have so many committed people dedicating their time to keeping residents informed and delivering the vaccine,” she added.
“One such organisation that is doing all they can to support their patients is Hannage Brook Medical Centre in Wirksworth.
“Dr Penny Blackwell has been using social media on behalf of the whole team at Hannage Brook Medical Centre to update patients on the vaccination programme and to address any concerns that patients have.
“It is fantastic to see GP surgeries using social media to talk to patients while we are in lockdown and the feedback I have received is incredibly positive.
“I phoned Dr Blackwell to thank her and the rest of the team for going the extra mile in supporting their patients at this time.”