Quarter-of-a-million now fully vaccinated in Northamptonshire as 30-year-olds get call for jabs

More than a quarter-of-a-million people in Northamptonshire have now had two full doses of Covid-19 vaccine as 30-year-olds got the call for their first jabs .

That county vaccination team's latest landmark was passed on Monday (May 23) as NHS staff delivered an astonishing 48,000 jabs county-wide in ONE WEEK.

That's an average of 3,468 a day.

Another 14,950 received a first jab between May 19 and May 25 as all the rollout was widened to more in their mid-30s this week — taking the total to 422,486 since the rollout began in December.

That means nearly two-thirds of over-16s in the county — 64.1 percent — had at least one dose of either Pfizer BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca or Moderna vaccines ahead of the government's target to deliver jabs to everybody by July 31.

And 34,373 second doses were also delivered by a combination of GPs, pharmacies and the Moulton Park vaccination centre, taking the total boosters to 260,955 up to May 25 — around 45 percent.

The news comes as a new study by Public Health England shows for the first time that two doses of the Covid-19 vaccines are highly effective against the B.1.617.2 variant first identified in India.

It is also estimated that 13,000 deaths have been prevented in people aged 60 and older and around 39,000 hospitalisations avoided in those aged 65 plus thanks to the vaccination programme.

Chris Pallot, director of Northamptonshire’s Covid-19 vaccination programme, is urging everyone who is eligible to be vaccinated to take up the offer of a jab without delay.

He said: “It’s fantastic news that eligibility for the Covid-19 vaccine has been further extended to everyone in their 30s this week.

"Getting vaccinated is the single most important thing we can do to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our communities against coronavirus, so it’s vital that everyone who’s eligible should come forward for their vaccine as soon as they are invited.

“The offer of a vaccine doesn’t expire so if you’ve previously received an invitation for your first dose but haven’t yet booked your appointment, now is the time to do so. And when the time comes for your second dose, please remember to keep your appointment because you need both doses to ensure you are fully protected from coronavirus.

“Additional slots have been made available at Northamptonshire’s Covid-19 Vaccination Centre in Moulton Park to enable those aged over 50 and people who are clinically vulnerable to have their second vaccine doses at the eight-week (rather than 12-week) point. We encourage everyone to book their second jab at this time by visiting the NHS website or calling 119.”

Lucy Wightman joint director of Public Health for North and West Northamptonshire Councils, added: “The latest evidence on the effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccines demonstrates just how crucial the vaccination programme is to our path out of this pandemic – and why it’s really important to get both doses.

“Not only do we know that vaccination has saved thousands of lives and prevented tens of thousands of hospitalisations across the country, but we also know that two doses of the vaccine are highly effective against the new variant.

"My message to everyone who’s eligible to receive the vaccine in Northamptonshire is to please take up the offer of both doses and play your part in getting us all back to normality.”

Calls are going out from the NHS to those eligible offering appointments at the county's vaccination centre at Moulton Park or a number of local pharmacies, and also from local GPs.

When invited, people will be able to book appointments at one of the vaccination centre, pharmacy or general practice sites across the country that are available through the national booking service.

Text invitations appear as an alert from ‘NHSvaccine’, including a web link to the NHS website to reserve an appointment. More appointments are being added to the National Booking Service every day.

Anyone 39 and under who are eligible and pregnant women will be offered the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, in line with recently updated JCVI guidance.

■ Anyone with Covid-19 symptoms — a new continuous cough, loss of or change in sense of taste or a high temperature should self-isolate immediately and book a test online HERE, via the Test and Trace app or by calling 119.

■ Free lateral flow device tests are available at sites across the county — click HERE for more details — or kits can be ordered and collected for home use.

■ All those aged 32 or over are eligible for a Covid-19 vaccination. Click HERE to book or contact your GP