London Covid: The vaccine centre lying empty until next month because of supply shortages

A significant vaccination centre in Hammersmith, that has already been delayed, has been pushed again additional and now will not open till a minimum of March.

The Novotel vaccination website was resulting from open within the week starting February 8 however was initially delayed for 2 weeks resulting from a scarcity in vaccine provide.

Nonetheless, the key centre, which has the capability to ship 1,500 doses a day, will not open till subsequent month on the earliest, including to current issues over London’s ‘patchy’ vaccine rollout.

On Monday ministers celebrated hitting the federal government’s goal of providing a jab to everybody in prime 4 precedence teams, permitting the following part of the rollout to start.

Nonetheless, the capital continues to lag behind the remainder of the nation by way of the variety of over-80s receiving the primary dose of the vaccine. That is even supposing officers say London is receiving its ‘justifiable share’ of the vaccine, understood to be 11 per cent of the nation’s provide.

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In line with provisional figures from NHS England, an estimated 78.4 per cent of these aged 80 and over had obtained their first jab in England within the interval as much as February 7, the bottom proportion for any area. By comparability, 96 per cent of over 80s in South West England had obtained their first dose.

Final week the Guardian reported that medical doctors on the Francis Crick Institute in London had been feeling pissed off that regardless of having the capability to ship 1,000 doses a day, they had been solely capable of present 100.

Their issues chime with the scenario in Hammersmith, the place major care community s obtained a mean of 250 doses a day on the finish of final week – lower than half capability.

Andy Slaughter, the Labour MP for Hammersmith, has issued a plea for extra vaccine.

” NHS and council employees and volunteers are doing an excellent job rolling out the vaccine programme, however they’re hampered by lack of provide,” he mentioned.

“Our current three native GP-run centres solely had vaccine provides for between one and 4 days the week earlier than final which could be very irritating, particularly as we had been hoping by now to have opened a brand new main centre giving out as much as 1,500 doses a day on the Novotel.

“With the smaller centres missing vaccine this has now been put again to March on the earliest, and but from this week the below 70s will even begin to be referred to as up for appointments. London MPs are elevating this every day with the vaccines minister.

“We simply want extra vaccine.”

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Mr Slaughter additionally raised issues in regards to the low take-up of vaccine amongst over-80s within the extra disadvantaged areas of his borough. He mentioned that whereas about 80 per cent had obtained their first dose within the prime decile of least disadvantaged areas, solely 55 per cent had obtained their first jab within the backside decile.

A spokesperson for NW London Well being and Care Partnership mentioned: “We have now supplied a vaccine to each affected person within the first 4 cohorts in North West London and have vaccinated 87 per cent of individuals in care houses and greater than 80 per cent of individuals aged 70 and over.

“There are 4 vaccination websites in Hammersmith and Fulham offering choices for native folks, and extra vaccination centres opening in coming weeks which shall be significantly essential as we begin vaccinating the bigger cohorts.”

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