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Covid vaccinations - please wait for your appointment

24 December 2020

 

People in Norfolk and Waveney are being reminded that Covid-19 vaccinations are taking place by invite and appointment only.

Yesterday a number of members of the public arrived at James Paget University Hospital without an appointment, asking to be vaccinated despite not being contacted by their GP and not having an appointment booked – claiming they had seen a post on Facebook saying they could simply turn up to receive the jab. The NHS is not able to administer a Covid-19 vaccine to you without you having an appointment.

Paul Morris, Director of Nursing at the James Paget University Hospital, said: “We are working closely with our GP colleagues to vaccinate those in most need of the vaccine first – and it is really important to stress that vaccinations are being given by appointment only.

“The NHS will contact you when it is your turn – we’d ask that people please wait to be given an appointment. If you don’t have an appointment, we won’t be able to vaccinate you.

“We’re really grateful for everyone’s support, and it’s fantastic to see that over half a million people across the country have now received the vaccine.”

NHS Will Contact You

Priority groups for vaccination in this initial phase were determined by Government following advice from the JCVI and were people aged 80 and over, as well as care home residents and high-risk frontline NHS staff.

Nationally, a total of 521,594 people have received an NHS vaccination from 8 – 20 December. Some 366,715 of those vaccinated were aged 80, making up 70% of the total number of jabs administered.

Dr Anoop Dhesi, GP and Chair of the Norfolk and Waveney Clinical commissioning Group, added: "Nurses and doctors are jabbing hundreds of people a day at GP-led community vaccination sites.

“It's a planned and highly organised procedure requiring people to arrive on time for their appointment. People who present without an appointment will not get vaccinated and risk disrupting the vaccinations of everyone else, so please help us by waiting for your turn."

Vaccine delivery has increased to almost 80 hospital hubs and over 500 GP led vaccinations centres, and further roll-out is underway as planned. The current eleven community and hospital sites in Norfolk and Waveney delivering vaccinations will continue to expand in the coming weeks.

The NHS is delivering the biggest vaccination programme in its history, and information on the number of COVID-19 vaccinations provided by the NHS in England is being published on the NHS website.