Harrogate vaccine walk-ins: go in afternoon tomorrow to avoid queues

Staff giving vaccines at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate have advised anyone planning a walk-in booster jab tomorrow to go in the afternoon.

The decision to allow over-18s to just turn up and get boosters prompted a wave of visitors to the showground today. Some people queued for an hour to get jabbed.

Tim Yarrow, operations manager for Yorkshire Health Network, which is a federation of the 17 GP practices in the Harrogate district, said the site had a lot of booked appointments tomorrow morning but the afternoon was quieter.

Anyone arriving for morning walk-ins would receive a booster, said Mr Yarrow, but they might have to wait for up to an hour.

He said it was likely to be quieter after 12.30pm.

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Another 102 covid infections were reported today in the Harrogate district.

The district’s seven-day infection rate has fallen slightly to 422 cases per 100,000. The North Yorkshire average is 380 and the England average is 505.

No further covid-related deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital, meaning the overall total remains at 200.

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.”

97 more covid infections in Harrogate district as rate falls to 430

The Harrogate district has reported a further 97 covid cases, according to today’s government figures.

The district’s covid rate now stands at 430 infections per 100,000 people. It was 450 yesterday.

Across the county, the average stands at 390 and the England rate is 503.

No further deaths from patients who tested positive for covid have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital, according to NHS England.

A total of 200 patients have died with covid at the hospital since the start of the pandemic.

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Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground reopened this week as a vaccination site.

Those eligible can book appointments on the NHS booking site here.

Anyone over 18 who had their second covid jab over three months ago can also walk-in for a jab. The walk-ins are available until Sunday when they will be reviewed again.

The showground site has also said it is closed for walk-ins between 1215pm and 115pm each day when staff change shifts.

 

Walk-in boosters available again today in Harrogate

Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground is to accept walk-ins again today.

NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group announced there would be walk-ins yesterday afternoon as a one-off but the organisation said today the service would also be available today.

It added it was treating the rest of the week on a day-by-day basis.

Those eligible for a booster can just turn-up between 8.30am and 4pm at the showground.

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.

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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.

Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate reopens for vaccines today

Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground reopens today as a vaccination site.

Although Harrogate is the largest place in the Harrogate district, the town has not had a vaccination site since August, when the showground stopped administering jabs.

Since then residents have been travelling to Knaresborough, Ripon and Pateley Bridge, or further afield to Leeds and York, for appointments.

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, as the government aims to speed up the vaccination programme.

Those eligible can book appointments on the NHS booking site here.

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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.”

Great Yorkshire Showground aiming to give 20,000 booster vaccines

The Great Yorkshire Showground vaccine site in Harrogate is aiming to give 20,000 covid booster jabs in two weeks.

It was revealed yesterday the site would re-open on Monday and that people eligible for booster jabs could now book appointments using the NHS booking service.

The showground clinics are being run by Yorkshire Health Network, an organisation which represents GP practices in the Harrogate district.

The site was scheduled to be open until December 22 but the Stray Ferret understands it could now continue to operate until March as the government bids to speed up the vaccine programme. However, this has yet to be confirmed.

In addition to the showground site, eligible patients can continue to get booster jabs from other locations in the Harrogate district, including Ripon racecourse, Homecare Pharmacy site in Chain Lane, Knaresborough and the Memorial Hall in Pateley Bridge.

Dr Cath Dixon, executive chair and clinical lead of Yorkshire Health Network, said: 

“Firstly, I want to say thank you to the teams at the Yorkshire Event Centre for their stellar support, along with the ranks of vaccinators, clinic staff and volunteers who are incredibly dedicated and help make this all possible.

“I’m delighted we’ve been able to secure this additional capacity to deliver the vaccination programme in the Harrogate district, with a range of options now available for patients.”

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Heather Parry, managing director of Yorkshire Event Centre, added: 

“We are proud to play a part in the drive to ensure the nation stays safe against covid, by supporting the NHS as we have done throughout the pandemic.”

The government announced yesterday that vaccinations will be offered to all adults over-18 and the gap between a second dose and booster would be cut to three months.

However, the NHS is currently still only offering appointments to over-40s. The NHS has advised people to wait to be contacted for booster appointments.

The move comes as 17.8 million booster vaccines have been given nationally, according to government data.

No figures are currently available for the number given in the Harrogate district.

Great Yorkshire Showground vaccine site starts taking booster bookings

Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground vaccination site has started to offer appointments for booster vaccinations.

People who are eligible for a booster vaccination in the Harrogate district can now log onto the NHS booking service site for appointments in December.

Yorkshire Health Network, an organisation which represents GP practices in the district, confirmed on its social media channels today that clinics will be held from Monday next week.

Although Harrogate is the largest place in the Harrogate district, it has not had a vaccine site since the summer, forcing residents to travel to  Knaresborough, Ripon and Pateley Bridge, or further afield to Leeds or York.

The showground site is due to reopen for just two weeks as part of the ongoing rollout of booster vaccinations. However, it is unclear if it will continue beyond that period.

The site closed in August after being used to administer covid jabs for most of the year.

A North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group spokesperson said previously: 

“Plans are in place to run pop-up covid vaccination clinics at the Yorkshire Showground at the beginning of December for two weeks, as this is when we are anticipating a peak in the number of patients eligible to receive their booster jabs.”

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The government announced yesterday that vaccinations will be offered to all adults over-18 and the gap between a second dose and booster will be cut to three months.

However, the NHS is currently still only offering appointments to over-40s. The NHS has advised people to wait to be contacted for their booster appointment.

The move comes as 17.8 million booster vaccines have been given nationally, according to government data.

No figures are currently available for the number given in the Harrogate district.

No Harrogate district walk-in vaccine centres as clinics ‘at capacity’

Health officials say they are unable to open any walk-in covid vaccination centres in Harrogate because clinics are already running at capacity.

The announcement on Monday that booster jabs were being made available without appointments caused some confusion as no Harrogate district sites appeared on the NHS online walk-in finder.

Those eligible for their third jabs were being sent to the nearest sites in Leeds or Middlesbrough, although a centre in Pateley Bridge has since appeared online.

NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group has now explained that it is unable to open any more walk-in sites in the area due to capacity and supply issues.

A CCG spokesperson said:

“All clinics are running at capacity and we will open walk-ins in a planned way as soon as we are able to.

“If we open walk-ins now it is likely we would exceed our vaccine allocation and there would be some disappointed people and negative feedback, which we are trying to avoid.”

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Appointment-based vaccines for over-50s and those with underlying health conditions are still available to book at local clinics via the national booking system.

Dedicated slots for 12 to 15-year-olds are also available at the Homecare Pharmacy site in Knaresborough.

These jabs for 12 to 15-year-olds are also being offered at schools and outside the district at the Askham Bar site in York, Leeds United’s Elland Road stadium, the Northern Echo Arena in Darlington and Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium.

New sites ‘as soon as possible’

The CCG said it was looking to add additional sites across North Yorkshire “as soon as possible”.

It was announced last week that Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground will reopen as a vaccine centre for an expected busy period of booster jabs in December.

The venue – which was used as a vaccine site for most of the year before closing in August – will reopen for two weeks at the start of the month.

Public Health England figures show a total of 130,898 people in the Harrogate district have received their first vaccine dose and 122,140 people their second.

No figures are available for booster jabs.

Vaccine take up is lowest among 12 to 15-year-olds with just 18% receiving their single dose.

The CCG said everyone in this age group will be offered their vaccine by the end of November.