Milestone moment as number of jabs in county and Rutland reaches 500,000
MORE than half a million people have now been vaccinated across Leicestershire and Rutland.
It comes as the NHS geared up its vaccination program, aiming to have all adults across the UK vaccinated by July.
Andy Williams, chief executive of the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland clinical commissioning groups, said: “It’s fantastic to reach this milestone and it’s a moment to say thank you to everyone who has helped to deliver the vaccine in our area. Alongside NHS staff, hundreds of volunteers are involved as vaccinators and in other clinical roles, as administrators, marshals, cleaners and site managers.
“I would also like to thank those who have organised conversations within their communities to discuss any concerns they have about the vaccine.
“The vaccine is our way out of the restrictions we’ve had on our lives and we have begun to see the effects it has had in protecting people from the virus. People being vaccinated have told our teams it is a special moment and they are so thankful.”
The first dose of the vaccine was administered in the region on December 12, which means on average 4,504 vaccines have been given each day as the weekend.
Dr Sulaxni Nainani, GP and member of Leicester City CCG’s governing body, said: “We’ve seen fantastic work carried out across our area and we are planning new initiatives to increase vaccinations further.
“We have come up with innovative ways to reach our communities to ensure that the vaccine is taken. We have already had success with drop-in clinics where you don’t need an appointment, including a clinic at the Al Furqan mosque, and we are looking at other options such as pop-up clinics within specific settings and neighbourhoods. “We’re talking with our diverse communities to see what would suit them and creating bespoke models for different neighbourhoods, because we know that one size doesn’t fit all.” Coronavirus vaccines are now being prioritised for those who need their second dose, but the CCGs in the region are asking anyone who feels they should have had a vaccine by now to get in touch with their GP.
Across the country, the latest figures show that 31,301,267 have had their first dose of the vaccine, and 4,948,635 have now had both.
We’ve seen fantastic work carried out across our area and we are planning new initiatives to increase vaccinations further