The charge to offer everyone eligible in Lincolnshire a covid autumn booster continues, with 89,270 people having had their autumn booster by the beginning of this week (3rd October).
With everyone aged 50 and over eligible, uptake of the autumn booster has been impressive not just in Lincolnshire, but also across the wider midlands region too, with over one million people having had their autumn booster vaccination in the east and west midlands.
“It has been unbelievably busy over the last four weeks and the take-up of the autumn booster vaccination shows no signs of slowing down, which is fantastic,” comments Julie Humphreys, Head of Clinical Services, Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust
“At the Weighing Rooms Mass Vaccination Centre in Lincoln, we are regularly giving more than 500 vaccinations a day and our other Mass Vaccination Centre at PRSA, Boston, the team is routinely giving more than 1,000 vaccinations a day and has on some days exceeded 2,000 vaccinations, and then there’s all of the GP and community pharmacy-run vaccination sites around the county also delivering huge quantities of vaccinations.”
One of the GP-run vaccinations sites is at the Meres, Grantham, recently celebrated giving its 300,000th covid vaccination (all covid vaccinations since the programme began), playing its own vital part in making the covid autumn booster available to people across the county.
Right now the vaccination teams are vaccinating people aged 65 and over, and those who are clinically vulnerable, as well as carers – paid and informal – pregnant women, household contacts of immunosuppressed people, and health and social care staff, and it is likely that they will move onto vaccinating people under the age of 65 in the next two weeks.
“It’s not confirmed yet, but we think we will probably begin to vaccinate people under 65 around mid-October onwards, so we hope that everyone else who’s then eligible – people aged 50 and over – will then make their appointment to come and see us,” adds Julie.
In addition to the covid autumn booster, currently people who are 65 or over (or will be 65 by 31 March 2023) are eligible for a free flu jab, and from mid-October people aged 50 or over (including those who be 50 by 31st March 2023) will be eligible too.
Many of the GP and community pharmacy-run vaccination sites around the county are offering people the opportunity to get their flu jab at the same time as their covid autumn booster, although the two Mass Vaccination Centres at the Weighing Rooms, Lincoln, and PRSA, Boston are not. It is also possible to get your flu jab at your GP surgery, at a pharmacy offering the service, and at some maternity services if you’re pregnant.
“Covid is definitely circulating through our communities and, as we move towards the winter when respiratory viruses typically are at their peak, getting your covid autumn booster and also your flu jab if you are eligible has never been more important,” reminds Julie.
The vaccination team at the Weighing Rooms Mass Vaccination Centre had some special visitors yesterday (Thursday 6th October) when Public Health and Mental Health Minister Dr Caroline Johnson, and Karl McCartney MP called in to see the site and the vaccination team in action.
“We were really pleased to welcome Dr Johnson and Karl McCartney to the Weighing Rooms and spent about an hour showing them around the site and explaining what we do on a daily basis to deliver the autumn booster programme,” explains Julie. “They were really interested in how we operate, had lots of questions for us and spoke to a number of team members and patients.
“Don’t forget, if you’re eligible and it’s been at least 90 days since your last dose, please book an appointment for your autumn booster as soon as you can, it is still the best way to protect yourself from covid. If you get a text or email inviting you to book an appointment for your autumn booster you can do this online using the National Booking System or by calling 119. Or you can wait to be contacted by your GP,” concludes Julie.
There is more information about the covid vaccination programme on our Grab a Jab page including a list of the scheduled vaccination clinics available at the county’s two Mass Vaccination Centres at the Weighing Rooms, Lincoln, and at PRSA, Boston.