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31

Mar 2021

Last Updated: 31/03/2021
Health
Health

North Yorkshire to focus on 47,000 over-50s yet to be vaccinated

by Calvin Robinson

| 31 Mar, 2021
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Senior health officials say 47,000 people across the county in the first nine priority cohorts have yet to come forward for a vaccine. No indication has been given on when the vaccine will be rolled out to the under-50s.

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A nurse holds up covid vaccine at the former Great Yorkshire Showground vaccine site. Picture: the Stray Ferret.

North Yorkshire's vaccine drive is to focus on the over-50s and vulnerable people yet to come forward for a vaccine rather than moving on to the under-50s.

Amanda Bloor, chief accountable officer for NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, told a press briefing today the county's take-up of the vaccine in the first nine cohorts was 88.5%.

However, she said there was still 11.5% - about 47,000 people - who had yet to come forward.

Ms Bloor said those people have either been invited to book an appointment but chose not to or their invitation was on its way.

She said health bosses wanted to get the "maximum coverage possible" before the rollout moves onto the under-50s.




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Addressing North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, Ms Bloor said:

“I just want to stress the point that we encourage everyone who is invited to come for a vaccination to take up that offer to protect not just themselves, but also their wider communities, their families and their loved ones.
"I can't stress enough that anyone who has had an invitation for a vaccination and chose at that time not to come forward can now come forward and get that vaccination."


Ms Bloor said the CCG wanted to "maximise the uptake" of the vaccine in those nine cohorts. Anyone yet to have a jab in those groups can contact their GP or use the national booking system.

As part of the focus, the CCG will review take-up in care home staff as well as encouraging those in Eastern European, homeless and travelling communities to receive the vaccine.

Yesterday, Sue Peckitt, chief nursing officer at North Yorkshire CCG, said that some GPs would offer spare vaccines to under-50s.

But no indication has yet been given on when vaccines will be fully rolled out to under-50s.

Ms Bloor said the government had assured the CCG there would be enough supply to vaccinate those aged 18 to 49 by the end of July.

So far, the county has vaccinated 410,000 people with a first dose and 48,000 have had a second dose.

In the Harrogate district, latest figures show 82,118 people have received a first vaccine - more than half the district’s population.