More Harrogate covid vaccine clinics to be available amid travel concerns

Health bosses in North Yorkshire have said more covid vaccine appointments will be available for Harrogate residents amid concern over a lack of clinics.

Officials at NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board said three pharmacies in Harrogate have been holding appointments for those eligible for a spring booster vaccine.

However, residents have contacted the Stray Ferret over concerns that the NHS booking website only showed clinics in West Yorkshire.

Currently, those who are vulnerable and over-75 are eligible for an appointment.

Those who wish to book a vaccine have to do so through the NHS website or by calling 119.

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But, residents in Harrogate who have tried to book a booster vaccine have found appointments are only available in Bradford or Leeds.

NHS officials said much of the vaccine campaign has been focused on those in care homes or who are housebound.

However, they added more local appointments should become available “over the next two or three weeks” to those who are eligible and will mostly be in GPs and pharmacies.

In response to the concern over travel, a spokesperson for Humber and North Yorkshire ICB said:

“Three pharmacies in Harrogate have had appointments available through the NHS National Booking Service and have been actively delivering clinics.

“However, over the next two to three weeks, patients in Harrogate who are eligible for their COVID spring booster should have access to more local appointments when they visit the online NHS National Booking Service or contact NHS 119.

“With GP practices in the Harrogate district mainly concentrating their efforts on delivering vaccines to care home residents and patients who are housebound, clinics for over 75s and those who are immunosuppressed will mostly be delivered by community pharmacy teams, though some GP practices will be running clinics for their eligible patients and they will be contacted directly when it’s their turn.

“The Spring campaign commenced on 3 April for all care home residents, housebound and immunosuppressed patients in line with JCVI guidance. All other over 75s became eligible for vaccination w/c 17 April and we are confident everyone who’s eligible will be able to receive a vaccination prior to the end of June when this campaign ends.”

Those are eligible for a spring covid booster are advised to check the NHS booking service online or call 119, if travelling is an issue.

More information on covid vaccine appointments can be found on the NHS England website here.

Harrogate district covid rate more than doubles in 12 days

The rate of covid in the Harrogate district has almost doubled in just 12 days.

Latest data published by North Yorkshire County Council shows the seven-day rate of infection was 691 per 100,000 people on March 13.

On March 1, the rate was 343 per 100,000 people, the lowest it had been since September 2021.

The Harrogate district has the highest infection rate in North Yorkshire. Ryedale is the next highest at 632. The England average is 661.

The government no longer publishes daily data on how many people have caught the virus.

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Instead, it publishes the number of infections over the past seven days. In the Harrogate district, this was 1,207 people, a rise of almost 50% on the previous week.

NHS England figures show that the most recent covid-related death took place at Harrogate District Hospital on February 28.

There have been 232 covid-related deaths at the hospital since the pandemic started almost two years ago.

Covid rate falls from 1,300 to 344 in Harrogate district over last month

Latest figures reveal how dramatically the covid rate of infection has fallen in the Harrogate district over the past month.

Data published by North Yorkshire County Council shows the seven-day rate of infection was 344 per 100,000 people on March 1.

On February 1, when the Omicron variant was rampant, the rate was 1,300 per 100,000 people.

Although the rate continues to fall, there have still been covid-related deaths reported at Harrogate District Hospital.

NHS England figures show that one death was recorded on February 28 and another on February 25.

There have been 232 covid-related deaths at the hospital since the pandemic started almost two years ago.

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From Tuesday, the rules for people visiting patients in Harrogate and Ripon’s hospitals will be relaxed.

Since December 23, visitors have only been allowed for patients on end-of-life care, patients with a learning disability or severe cognitive impairment such as dementia. Visits to parents or carers of children and birthing partners are also permitted.

But from Tuesday, patients can have one visitor, by appointment, between 2pm-4pm for 30 minutes. Only two visitors will be allowed in each bay at any one time.

Harrogate vaccine centre moves to smaller showground site

Harrogate’s main vaccination centre has moved out of the Yorkshire Event Centre and into the goat shed on the opposite side of the showground.

Those due for a booster or anyone who wants to get their first or second dose should enter the Great Yorkshire Showground site by the Sainsburys entrance off Wetherby Road.

Continue past Fodder and the Harrogate Caravan Park. Signs and volunteers lead to the vaccine centre, which is on the right hand side through the gates. Park under shelter of the sheep shed.

Follow the directions of signs and volunteers.

Appointments are available but people are free to go without one as a walk-in.

The centre will be open on weekends from 8.30am until 5pm and until late on one day only during the week.

Since September the Yorkshire Health Network‘s vaccine centres in Ripon and Harrogate have given out 42,000 booster vaccines.

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There was a national effort to give out as many boosters before Christmas. At its peak, the Harrogate vaccine centre team gave out 1,800 jabs in one day.

According to government figures, more than 80% have had a second dose and 67% have had a third dose in the Harrogate district.

The new vaccine centre is smaller.

With much of the work already done and three other vaccine centres in the district, the Harrogate team is confident it can cope with two vaccinators.

Cath Dixon, the GP clinical lead for Yorkshire Health Network, told the Stray Ferret:

“Over the last couple of days we have been dismantling the equipment we had up at the Yorkshire Event Centre to set up again here on the other side of the showground.

“This is the first day we are open here. Now the Yorkshire Event Centre can use the hall we were in for events and we will be able to stay here until March.

“The current JCVI advice is to only offer three doses of the vaccine. But who knows? Things change all the time and we will be here to help get the Harrogate district vaccinated.”

Covid rate surges in Harrogate district as jab clinics open for children

The covid rate increased significantly in the Harrogate district today in another sign that the Omicron variant is beginning to have an impact.

The seven-day rate leapt from 419 per 100,000 people to 476. It was 383 two days ago. It comes after another 144 daily infections were reported by NHS England.

The rate remains considerably lower than the England average of 783 but slightly above the North Yorkshire average of 444.

Harrogate West and Pannal Ash, which has had 57 confirmed cases in the last seven days, is the district’s current covid hotspot.

A total of 91,569 people in the district have received either booster or third doses of the covid vaccine.

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The Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate will accept walk-in patients and booked patients for booster jabs tomorrow this week.

Children aged 12 to 17 will also be able to turn-up for walk-in boosters at the showground from 1.30pm to 4.30pm tomorrow and from 9am to 12.30pm on Tuesday.

Ripon racecourse, which was not open today. is due to administer more jabs tomorrow.

The Harrogate pharmacies at the forefront of the booster campaign

Besides the GP-run vaccination sites at Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground and Ripon Races, nine local pharmacies are also at the forefront of the booster jab campaign.

Harrogate Pharmacy, at the back of Rawcliffe’s on East Parade, is amongst them. It has been offering vaccines since October and has so far delivered 4,000 doses at a rate of one every four minutes.

When the Stray Ferret visited to find out more about the operation, staff told us the past 18 months had been like no other but were adamant they wanted to do their bit to help.

They offer 300 to 450 vaccines per week, which are all administered by one vaccinator.

The pharmacy is now booked up until Christmas but about 10 people a day drop out so staff are happy to take calls inquiring whether there are spaces for walk-ins.

Shaun Davis, superintendent pharmacist, said more pharmacies should provide jabs to meet the government’s goal of offering all over 18s a booster by the end of the month. he said:

“They need to allow more sites to open a centre more easily — why can’t pharmacies who have offered a flu jab for years not offer covid jabs without all the unnecessary red tape? if it was to be made easier it could be a very simple walk-in service in any pharmacy.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement on Sunday night did not give vaccine sites much time to prepare for the sudden increase in capacity required.

“They can’t announce something yesterday saying you need it to happen today with no infrastructure in place to manage that.

“That kind of knee-jerk response to things is not very considered to me. It’s only around 40% of the population that have had their booster and if you want to get it to a stage of having a real impact on this variant they have to come up with a strategy to do this.”

Harrogate Pharmacy has been open throughout the pandemic. Staff have helped patients when GP surgeries and hospitals have been overwhelmed, as well as giving vaccines.

Charlotte Turnbull, supervisor, said:

“It’s been a lot of pressure. We took a lot of the brunt when a lot of doctors or hospitals were overwhelmed and because we are delivery-only a lot of people moved to us because we can drop it at their doorstep and walk away rather than them having to walk to a busy pharmacy.

“There needs to be more capacity and people on board, if they want all adults booked before new year.”

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Other pharmacies in the Harrogate district offering vaccinations:

Appointments are available on the NHS app for Thursday December 16 and Friday December 17 8am-6pm, Saturday December 18 8am-3pm, December 20 to 23 8am-8pm, December 28 to 30 8am-8pm and December 31 8am-3pm.

*Some of these dates have been extended today so new appointments are now online to book.

Appointments are available on the NHS app for Saturday December 18 9am-12pm and 1pm-4pm, Tuesday December 21st 8am-1pm and Thursday December 30 9am-12pm and 1pm-4pm.

Appointments are available on the NHS app for Monday to Thursday 9.30am to 5.45pm

Appointments are available on the NHS app Monday to Sunday 9am-1pm, 2pm-4pm and 5pm-6.30pm

Currently full until New Year

No information available at the time

No information available at the time

Waiting on vaccine supply, keep an eye on our covid coverage for more information.

Waiting for official approval then clinic appointments will be made available online. Keep an eye on our covid coverage for more information.

 

Queues in Harrogate as demand for booster jabs soars

Queues formed at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate this morning as people took up the offer of walk-in booster jabs for over-18s.

The vaccination centre at the Yorkshire Event Centre is currently offering walk-ins for anyone over 18 until Sunday. Walk-ins will then be reviewed.

People were so keen to get the jab that they were willing to queue outdoors in the cold for about an hour.

While staff at the centre were too busy to talk, those outside were upbeat about the prospect of receiving boosters.

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Donna Jones told the Stray Ferret:

“I do have an appointment booked for Knaresborough but I would rather get it done sooner rather than later.

“The walk-ins are brilliant. It’s much easier because I live in Harrogate. Everyone should have their booster, it’s great to see so many people here so we can move forward.”

Alex Lewis Jones, 21, said:

“I was at work yesterday when my mum told me about the opportunity for a walk-in appointment. We are planning to go away at Christmas so it’s best to get it done before that.

“It’s good that people have shown up and it’s good that the centre has put walk-ins on. Yes you might have to queue a bit but it’s much better in the long run.”

Chloe Scott added:

“I brought my mother who is clinically extremely vulnerable. I am delighted that there is the opportunity for me to get the booster too.

“It’s great that so many people are keen to get their boosters, especially with omicron on the rise and before Christmas when people want to mix.”

Today only: Harrogate vaccine centre offers walk-in boosters

Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground is to accept walk-ins this afternoon to help with the roll-out of the covid booster programme.

Those eligible for a booster can just turn-up between 1.30pm and 4pm at the showground. Currently, there are no other walk-in sessions scheduled for the site, which re-opened this week.

To qualify, people need to be aged 40 and above. At least six months must have passed since their second dose and they must have no coronavirus symptoms.

The showground was due to close on December 22 but it now looks set to continue until March, although this has yet to be confirmed.

Non walk-in appointments can be booked on the NHS booking site here.

Military could be drafted in to help Harrogate district booster vaccines

The army could be drafted in to help with the Harrogate district’s booster vaccine rollout amid concern about the new coronavirus variant Omicron.

Public health officials in North Yorkshire said today they were looking at ways to increase capacity for vaccines after the minimum gap for boosters was halved to three months.

More sites, more vaccines and use of the army are among the options being considered.

The Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate will re-open as a vaccine site for coronavirus booster jabs on Monday.

It was scheduled to operate for just over a fortnight until December 22 but in a press conference today, public health officials confirmed they were in talks to extend this until March.

So far in North Yorkshire and York, the booster rollout in over-75s is 89% complete, 70 to 74-year-olds is 86% complete, 65 to 69-year-olds is 72% complete and 60 to 64-year-olds is 53% complete.

Boosters are below 50% for the remaining cohorts. Among 55 to 59-year-olds it is at 39%, 50 to 54-year-olds are at 32% and 40 to 49-year-olds are at 19%.

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Amanda Bloor, accountable officer for NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said:

“Across North Yorkshire we are currently adapting our vaccination programme to deliver a significantly enhanced booster offer.

“This includes exploring some of the following options. We are looking at more sites coming online, including both hospitals and pharmacy sites.

“We are looking at some of the existing sites we have got doing more vaccinations. We are also looking to recruit more support to help deliver vaccinations.

“We are thinking about support from military personnel nationally and also we anticipate a national effort to recruit additional volunteers to help deliver the programme.

“All of these actions are underway across North Yorkshire and they are happening at pace.”