DOCTORS at 20 hubs across the county are now rolling out Covid vaccines to the most vulnerable.
Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, which has published a full list of sites, said it was thanks to ‘truly outstanding’ work by clinicians, staff, patient participation group members and community volunteers that rollout was now ‘well under way’.
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It followed concerns by Oxford Patient Voice head Jacquie Pearce-Gervis that there was some parts of the county, in particular parts of West Oxfordshire, Kidlington and Bicester, which appeared to have been ‘forgotten’.
The CCG, however, said the GP hubs had been opening in phases since December 15, with the final three locations to start vaccinations by the end of the week in Carterton, Faringdon and Banbury.
Initially vaccinations of the Pfizer jab were delivered to patients aged 80 and over, care workers and frontline NHS staff at Oxford’s Churchill Hospital.
Injections began on December 8 at the site, which was chosen to become one of 50 hospital hubs as part of the first wave of the NHS's biggest ever vaccination campaign.
A week later primary care networks, groups of GP practices working collectively to deliver health services, began delivering jabs to their patients aged over 80.
While many have been based at health centres, to ensure social distancing, other sites have used have included neighbourhood centres, community hospitals and schools.
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Last week we reported on how several Oxford GPs had worked with Cherwell School to deliver jabs from their gym.
Patients who had been shielding since March were among the first to get the vaccine on January 8 as part of work by Summertown Health Centre, 19 Beaumont Street Surgery and Banbury Road Medical Centre.
With the Oxford University vaccine also now approved and rolled out, GP practices are able to reach out, more easily, to housebound patients as well as care home residents and staff.
NHS England has told GPs that it 'expects' care home residents and staff at homes across England to be vaccinated this week, or by January 24 'at the latest'.
Dr John Monach at Cherwell School. Picture: Ed Nix
A letter sent to the groups of GP surgeries who have signed up to deliver the vaccination programme suggests GPs can do this from 8am to 8pm seven days a week.
The Government aims to have the top four priority groups – including care home residents and their carers, frontline health and social care staff and all those over the age of 70 – offered their first jab by mid-February.
Each Oxfordshire vaccination site is managing its own patient lists and is working through them as quickly as possible, as vaccine supplies are delivered.
The CCG also said plans are under way for a large scale vaccination centre being provided by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, adding the location and opening date would be confirmed ‘soon’ but unable to provide more details.
NHS England yesterday published a breakdown of vaccinations by age and region for the first time.
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The data shows that of the 2,371,407 jabs given between December 8 and January 10, including both first and second doses, 411,257 of them were administered to people in the South East.
This compares to 237,524 in London, 447,329 in the Midlands, 433,045 in the North East and Yorkshire, 318,445 in the North West, 285,332 in the South West and 236,023 in the East of England.
There were also 2,452 listed as other, including some people who live in Scotland and Wales.
In total in England, 1,036,605 aged 80 or over have received a first dose, while 960,699 were given to those under 80.
Combined with population data from the Office for National Statistics it is estimated 36 per cent.
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