Vulnerable residents in Harrogate have raised concerns over the lack of communication for the coronavirus vaccine, as the centre at the Great Yorkshire Showground appears to have been closed over Christmas.
Several concerned residents contacted the Stray Ferret and reported the centre being closed for multiple days over Christmas and New Year. It remained closed on Sunday and had not reopened this morning.
Some of those who got in touch are in their 80s and said they have not heard anything on when they may get the jab, which they should be eligible for in the first round of vaccinations.
David Hill, 82, a local resident who is expecting to be notified about his vaccination, said his friends were becoming frustrated with the process.
He said most of those aged over 80 have yet to be contacted about their first dose.
He told the Stray Ferret:
“They are not going outside much, they are scared about going out. They are watching the news all day long and waiting for a text for the jab and they are not getting it.
“I do feel that they are getting stressed out beyond words.”
The centre was first opened on December 22, with 83-year-old Anne among the first to be vaccinated and a couple from Bilton receiving the jab a week after their 60th wedding anniversary.
It followed the approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which was rolled out at hospitals and local vaccination sites across the country.
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The site appealed for volunteers to help marshal the car park and signpost patients. It opened with a morning session from 8.30am until 1.15pm and afternoon vaccinations from 2.30pm to 6.15pm.
But it appears to have been closed over several days at Christmas, with residents reporting the gates shut and no activity at the site. Residents have been contacting the Stray Ferret to ask when and how they will be notified about the jab, and why the vaccination centre appears to be closed.
The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group to confirm how many days it had been in use over Christmas and why it had been closed, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
The group has yet to comment publicly at all on the vaccination centre, even to confirm its location – despite extensive signage around the site and some people having been invited for appointments last month.
The vaccine centre at the Great Yorkshire Showground, which opened on December 22.
Last month, local health bosses appealed for people to be patient over the rollout of the vaccine and the lack of information.
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.”
Despite the reassurances, the apparent closure of the centre during the Christmas break has led more people to contact the Stray Ferret. We will continue to ask the CCG for information about what is happening at the site.
NHS England figures up to December 31 show a total of 786,000 people have received the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
However, the data does not include a breakdown by region. It remains unclear how many have been vaccinated in the Harrogate district.
Meanwhile, Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said this morning that 530,000 does of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will be rolled out at six hospitals this week.
The government has ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine and is planning on delivering two million a week by the middle of January.
