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30

Dec 2020

Last Updated: 30/12/2020

Health chiefs call for patience on Harrogate district vaccines

by Thomas Barrett

| 30 Dec, 2020
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The vaccination programme got underway in Harrogate this month at the Great Yorkshire Showground. But numerous people have contacted the Stray Ferret wondering why they haven't heard anything yet.

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The vaccine centre at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

Senior health officials in North Yorkshire have appealed for patience over the vaccination programme amid concern by some people about a lack of information.

Vaccination for the Pfizer-BioNTech jab got underway this month at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate.

Several people who have been inoculated have told the Stray Ferret the process was smooth and efficient.

But we have also received numerous calls and emails from people wondering why they haven't heard anything yet. Some have parents in their 90s.

The North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which represents agencies involved in tackling covid, urged people to be patient at a media briefing today.

Richard Webb, North Yorkshire County Council's director of health and adult services, said the NHS was working "as quickly as possible" to administer the vaccine and that residents should wait to be contacted by their GP or local NHS trust.

Mr Webb added:

"Our colleagues in the NHS are working around the clock to prepare to receive the latest batches of vaccines. Please be patient, it's a massive logistical issue.
"They are moving as quickly as possible to get people vaccinated."






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The media briefing also revealed there has been a big increase in the number of people being tested at the covid testing centre in the Dragon Road car park in Harrogate.

Matthew Robinson, senior resilience and emergencies officer at North Yorkshire County Council, said that on December 21, 280 people were tested at the site, the highest daily total to date.

This is more than double the figure of some previous weeks, which reflects the growing spread of the virus.

From December 21-27 over 1,200 covid tests took place.