Hundreds take up Covid-19 vaccine at Thrapston surgery

Hundreds of East Northamptonshire's elderly have received their first dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at a Thrapston surgery this week.

Nene Valley Surgery is due to use all 975 doses they were given by 6pm tonight (Thursday) after starting vaccinations on Tuesday.

They've been vaccinating those aged over 80 who attend Nene Valley Surgery and The Meadows Surgery in Thrapston, The Cottons Medical Centre and Marshalls Road Surgery in Raunds and Woodford Medical Centre, as well as some care home and surgery staff.

And practice manager Lisa Majid said it's been lovely to see the smiles on people's faces as they take their first steps back into normality.

She said: "People have been so, so grateful.

"It's been very busy and we've said to them 'sorry for the delay' and they've just said 'we don't care how long we have to wait, we just want to get back to normal'."

Unlike a drive-thru clinic at Prospect House in Kettering, patients have been coming into the surgery for the jab with marshalls on-site and a tent for observations.

Lisa had the jab this morning and said it was no different to any other injection, with just a small scratch like with a flu jab.

And they are gearing up to prepare for the second dose of the vaccine in three weeks' time after working round to clock this week.

Lisa said: "It's been hard but very rewarding. We had less than a week's notice from accepting the site to being up and running but we have had some great help.

"It feels fantastic to be able to provide this for people so the country and the world can start to hopefully get to near normality.

"I'd like to thank the whole team here at Nene Valley Surgery for going that extra mile and coming in early and going home late."

The team at the surgery have been given a boost by huge donations from local people and businesses this week.

They include baskets of fruit from Morrisons in Thrapston, pizza deliveries from Domino's, portions of fish and chips and sausage and chips from Alex Imard, donations from Rebecca Shears, Leigh Tate, Melanie Barfield and cake from Lucy Noakes of the Vanilla Bean Cake Company.

And local girl Zantay Revell, who was due to go to Borneo this year before her plans were scuppered by Covid, donated some money from her fundraising which her mum Deanna used to buy snacks to give to the team.

Lisa urged anyone waiting to be called in for the vaccine to be patient and take up the offer.

She added: "We would say just wait patiently and please take it up when it's offered to give protection to yourself and everyone in the world."