OVER 50? BOOK A JAB WHILE YOU CAN

Supply issues lead to warnings of ‘pause’ in the rollout during April

OVER-50S are being urged to book a jab while they still can – as it emerged some vaccine centres will temporarily close due to looming supply issues.

England’s top doctor has called on anyone at risk to book a slot before the NHS stops taking appointments on Monday.

Professor Stephen Powis said those who qualify and have not yet received a first dose should book an appointment in the next few days. His plea comes as some mass vaccination sites across the country announced they will close during the month-long slowdown.

Sites in Devon, Cornwall and Kent are among those to have confirm they will ‘have to pause’ because of national supply issues.

The focus will turn to ensuring there are sufficient vaccine stocks to give second doses, with staff at many larger centres redeployed. NHS England has said no first appointments should be booked for people under the age of 50 unless they fall into a higher priority group, such as those who are clinically vulnerable.

Some 28,327,873 adults have had a first dose of the jab, with a further 2,363,684 fully vaccinated, latest figures show. Around seven in ten of those aged 50 to 54 have now had a first dose of a vaccine, according to NHS England.

But a shortfall of five million AstraZeneca jabs from India, along with the need to retest a batch of 1.7million doses, means the rollout will slow down next month.

Local vaccination centres have been told to close unfilled bookings from March 31, with the supply constraint expected to last throughout April.

Anybody aged 50 or over can book themselves in for a first dose before

‘Closed for a number of weeks’

March 29 online using the national booking system for England.

People aged 18 and over who are clinically vulnerable should also book themselves in for a vaccine, under the latest guidance.

GPs will continue contacting eligible patients on their lists. But some vaccination sites including Westpoint, near Exeter, have revealed they will close between April 1 and 11.

All of Kent’s five mass vaccination centres are set to close ‘for a number of weeks’ from next month.

Dr Paul Johnson, clinical chairman of the NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group, said first jabs would be paused in some parts of the county but stressed there was no issue for second doses. Professor

Powis, NHS England’s national medical director, said the vaccine programme had a record week, with more than 3.5 million doses in the seven days to Sunday. He added: ‘It is testament to the careful planning and sheer hard work of staff that the

NHS vaccination programme is continuing at a record pace.’

An NHS spokesperson said it is delivering the vaccine ‘ based on manufacturers’ ability to supply jabs’, adding: ‘While we expect supply to be constrained, it makes sense to use our resources wisely across the more than 1,600 vaccination sites.

‘There are currently no plans to close sites permanently and, most importantly, people in the top priority cohorts will still be able to book their jab close to home.’