Vaccinations to be rolled out across North Yorkshire from next week

The first batch of the Pfizer Covid-19 jab was administered yesterday and planning has been taking place as to how the programme will be implemented across England’s largest county.

Local health bosses have now announced that the first vaccines will be given out in North Yorkshire from next week, with more details on where the jabs will be available to be confirmed in the coming days.

Amanda Bloor, NHS North Yorkshire CCG Accountable Officer and chairman of the North Yorkshire group of NHS and local government chief executives, told a meeting of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum this morning that preparations for were under way.

Fifty hospital trusts nationally were designated as vaccination hubs, with Hull University Teaching Hospital Trust administering its first vaccination today.

Mrs Bloor: “The hospital hubs will be complimented by local vaccination services and these will be provided in GP surgeries and also in community venues provided by local GP practices.

“I do want to share today the great news that we are currently in final planning for seven sites across North Yorkshire and York to start administering the vaccine to people in North Yorkshire York from next week.”

Mrs Bloor said that priority will be given to those over the age of 80, care home workers and front-line NHS staff and the seven sites would be made public in the coming days with more sites becoming available into the new year.

However, she warned the public that they would have to patient.

She said: “This programme will take place over a number of months, not a number of weeks.

"This is just the beginning of a methodical programme.”

There was also a call for people to wait to be contacted about the vaccine rather than to try to chase an appointment.

Mrs Bloor added: “The vast majority of vaccinations will take place in 2021, not before Christmas.

“Patients will be contacted with a personal invitation to attend for a vaccine and that should happen over the next few days for some patients in North Yorkshire in line with the national prioritisation criteria.

“Please do not contact your local practice or local hospital to ask for an appointment for a vaccination and please do not turn up at your GP’s or hospital.

“The NHS will proactively contact individuals as part of the vaccine programme and nobody will miss out.

“I understand there will be anxiety in a number of people who are really anxious to get the vaccine as soon as possible but we are putting in place plans to do that as quickly and as safely as we can.”

Until they get the vaccine people were reminded to follow the government guidance around preventing the spread of the virus.

A message from the editor

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the highest standards in the world.

The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers and consequently the advertising that we receive.

We are now more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news by buying a copy of our newspaper.

Thank you,

Jean MacQuarrie, Editor-in-Chief