COVID-19 vaccine supply ‘very low’

Royal Borough: But second doses are going to plan

COVID-19 vaccination supplies in the Royal Borough are currently ‘very low’ but residents have been told not to worry if they haven’t been contacted for a jab.

Members of the council’s outbreak engagement board received an update on the local authority’s vaccination programme during a virtual meeting on Monday.

Councillors heard that more than half the borough’s population, 76,072, has received the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

But residents in the latest cohort to be eligible for the jab, those aged 45 to 49, are being warned not to expect a call immediately.

Caroline Farrar, executive place managing director at the Royal Borough,

said: “Our levels of vaccine supply are still very low so it doesn’t mean if you haven’t been called you’ve been missed as you may not be called immediately.

“Nationally the vaccine supply has continued to be a challenge but second doses are proceeding according to plan and people should continue to take up a second dose when called to get full protection.”

The council is still following guidance to offer people a second dose of the vaccine within 12 weeks of their first jab, Ms Farrar added.

Councillor Simon Werner, (Lib Dems, Pinkneys

Green) asked whether the council has investigated if priority can be given for teachers to be vaccinated while they continue to work in a ‘difficult environment’.

Director of Children’s Services, Kevin McDaniel, said the council had approached NHS England over whether teachers could be vaccinated earlier but this request was refused.

He added: “When we specially asked for the support to do that it has been declined because on the ground the data suggests protecting by age is a more important factor.”

When the Express went to press the weekly rate of confirmed cases within the Royal Borough stood at 17.8 cases per 100,000 people.