Hundreds of children given jab as Covid vaccinations continue
Health chiefs in Sunderland have repeated calls for city residents to take up the offer of the Covid-19 jab as the vaccination programme continues at pace.
Members of NHS Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) got an update on the vaccination programme across the city.
The drive has now entered ‘phasethree’withschoolnurses looking at those aged 12-15 and vaccination hubs opening to at-risk children in this age group.
Last weekend, booster jabs for both Covid-19 and flu also startedatcarehomesonWearside.
DrFadiKhalil,ClinicalViceChairofSunderlandCCG,said it was “early days” and that phasethreehadonlybeenrunning for a week-and-a-half.
But he stressed that there was “plenty of supply” of vaccines as services move into the winter period, with work ongoing to increase uptake in younger age groups.
The comments came during a meeting of the CCG’s Governing Body.
Figures revealed at the meeting confirmed 285 vaccines had been administered tothoseaged12-15outofapopulation of around 12,000.
Out of the 667 at-risk young peopleinthisagegroupinSunderland,around107or16%had been vaccinated with a first dose.
However,CCGleaderswere confident numbers would increase
as the school vaccination programme continues to roll out.
Dr Ian Pattison, local GP andClinicalChairofNHSSunderland CCG, added: “As the school programme for those youngadultsandchildrengets in, we should see those figures start to climb and we will get a further update. It’s just to encourage people even if they are young to get the vaccine […] that’s the message from here that we encourage everybody who is eligible for a vaccine to get a vaccine, particularly for those most at risk.
“Clearly the vaccine is considered to be the main way we’re protecting ourselves from Covid going forward.
“It’s not the only way but it’s becoming increasingly the main way and therefore it’s absolutely essential that as many ofthepopulationwhoareeligibledogetvaccinated–that’sthe key message.
“I’mhearinginSunderland that getting vaccinated should beafairlystraightforwardprocess at this point and we will keep it under review if there’s any problems.”