The NHS vaccination programme is underway in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin as part of the national rollout. The approval of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine will enable hundreds of GPs and other sites to administer vaccinations, massively increasing the speed and capacity of the roll-out.
Care home residents are now receiving the vaccine in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin with the ambition that all older person care home residents and staff will have had the vaccination by the end of January. GP practices will contact care homes directly to plan the rollout as soon as they are ready.
In Telford and the surrounding area several other sites are administering the vaccine directly:
- The Local Vaccination Centre at Malinslee Healthcare Centre, with vaccines given by GPs from the Teldoc Primary Care Network (group of local GP practices)
- The Hospital Hub at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital run in partnership with Shrewsbury Primary Care Network
- The Local Vaccination Centre at Bridgnorth Medical Centre being delivered by GPs from the South East Shropshire Primary Care Network (group of local GP practices)
- The Hospital Hub at The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital run in partnership with North Shropshire Primary Care Network
The NHS will contact people in the priority groups when it is their turn to receive the vaccine. People are being called forward who meet the criteria based on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s recommendations. The vaccine will be offered to more people and at other locations as soon as possible. These will include local vaccine services provided by GPs and pharmacists, in people’s homes for those who are housebound and new dedicated vaccination centres to make sure that everyone who needs a vaccine is able to get one.
The COVID-19 vaccines will become available as they are approved for use and as each batch is manufactured. So every dose is needed to protect those at highest risk. You will be called in as soon as there is enough vaccine available.
The UK has currently vaccinated more people than in the whole of the European Union combined, with over 1.3 million people in receipt of vaccines already.
Some people who are housebound or live in a care home and who can’t get to a local vaccination centre may have to wait for supply of the right type of vaccine. This is because only some vaccines can be transported between people’s homes. Telford residents have an important part to play:
- please don’t contact the NHS to seek a vaccine, the NHS will contact you;
- when the NHS does contact you, please attend your booked appointments; and
- please continue to follow all the guidance to control the virus and save lives.
The vaccine cannot give you COVID-19 infection, and it will reduce your chance of becoming seriously ill. We do not yet know whether it will stop you from catching and passing on the virus. So, it is important to follow the guidance in your local area to protect those around you.
There are opportunities for current and retired healthcare professionals, but also for non-clinical staff in a range of administrative, reception and other front-of-house roles as well as for volunteers.
Anyone interested can find further information on how to apply by visiting www.rjah.nhs.uk/vaccine or sign up as a volunteer to support rapid testing and the vaccination roll-out on the Shropshire Rural Communities Charity website at www.shropshire-rcc.org.uk/covid19volunteers
For more information about the Covid-19 vaccine please visit: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/coronavirus-vaccine/
