Praise for NHS staff and volunteers as more than 1.7m people are vaccinated in North West

The regional lead for the NHS coronavirus vaccination programme has thanked NHS staff, partners from local authorities and volunteers for their efforts.

Dr Linda Charles-Ozuzu, senior responsible officer for the vaccination programme for the North West and regional director of commissioning for the NHS, said: “It is a great testament to the commitment of colleagues that 15 million across the UK have had their first dose.

"This has been a real joint effort across the North West. It’s clear that people are aware of how important the vaccination programme is to staying safe and helping us defeat this virus.”

More than one million people aged 65 and over nationwide have now been invited to book a vaccination as part of the next phase, with another 1.2 million set to be invited throughout the week.

In the next phase, GPs have been asked to offer jabs to clinically vulnerable patients, while people aged 65 and over will in the first instance be invited to book a jab at one of the vaccination centres. Carers will also be offered the chance to get vaccinated.

Four additional large vaccination sites are launching this week in the region, bringing the total number of sites to 231.

Dr Charles-Ozuzu added: “It is great news that we have vaccinated the majority of people aged 70 and over, along with health and care staff. As we move to the next groups, I’d like to reinforce the request for anyone aged 70 and older, who hasn’t yet taken up the offer to be vaccinated, to get in touch with their GP practice. Getting the vaccine reduces the risk of you becoming seriously ill from the virus.”

While the vaccine is being rolled out quickly, there is still a "large number of very sick patients" in hospitals.

People are being urged to only contact the NHS for a vaccine if they are 70 or over on the shielded patient list, to attend appointments at the exact time required to avoid queues, and to comply with the national lockdown measures currently in place.

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