Plans for extra mass vaccination websites in South West London have been unveiled.
Folks might quickly be requested to attend appointments at Battersea Arts Centre (Wandsworth), Centrale Buying Centre (Croydon), Queen Mary’s Hospital (Wandsworth), St Nicholas Centre (Sutton), Centre Court docket (Merton) and AFC Wimbledon (Merton).
The plans had been revealed finally night time’s South West London & Surrey Joint Well being Overview and Scrutiny Committee (February 17), however NHS workers confused these are nonetheless topic to vary and it unknown when precisely they might begin jabbing residents.
Sarah Blow from the South West London Well being and Care Partnership informed councillors that South West London is the perfect within the capital for vaccinating precedence cohorts.
The area was focused to give 262,000 first doses of the vaccine by February 14 (masking the highest 4 precedence teams), and exceeded this by offering greater than 266,000.
On the shut of play on February 16 it had given 294,000 first doses of the vaccine.
To this point, greater than 87 per cent of nursing dwelling and care dwelling residents have had the jab in addition to greater than 91 per cent of over 80s within the area.
Sarah Blow from the South West London Well being and Care Partnership. Credit score: Screenshot Kingston Council https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loBY3RtWtYA
Likewise, greater than 91 per cent of over 70s have had their jab, and the present focus is on the over 65s.
Greater than 70 per cent of this group have been vaccinated up to now.
Nonetheless, Ms Blow warned the figures so conceal some variations throughout the boroughs, notably with vaccine take-up in additional disadvantaged and BAME communities.
She mentioned workers are working onerous to focus on these teams to assist them make “knowledgeable choices” on whether or not to take the vaccine.
This contains providing vaccines once more to care employees who refused the primary time spherical.
Jai Patel from the Well being and Care Partnership mentioned some teams had been hesitant to get the vaccine after considerations about fertility and feminine well being.
NHS groups have targeted on talking to those teams about their considerations to sort out misinformation, in addition to utilizing neighborhood influencers to move on data and suggestions on individuals’s considerations.
“Folks typically aren’t anti-vaxxers, they’re simply unsure about getting the vaccine” mentioned Mr Patel.
Ms Blow mentioned extra individuals are already beginning to take up the vaccine after having seen others receiving it and seeing that it’s secure.
South West London groups mentioned they had been “assured” they are going to be capable of ship vaccines to all 9 precedence cohorts by the tip of April.
They mentioned there have been no points with vaccine provide up to now and they don’t seem to be anticipating points going ahead.
Nonetheless Ms Blow did warn that NHS workers are very drained in the mean time, and extra must be accomplished to make vaccine supply sustainable because it rolls out to the broader inhabitants.
“They’ve been by 12 months of full-on supply each inside and outdoors of hospitals and this can’t proceed indefinitely,” she mentioned.
“We’re presently sprinting a marathon in the mean time, and we now have to verify we are able to get this in a sustainable place as we go ahead.”
