Whilst I continue to hold the Government to account in the House of Commons chamber, and chair the Transport Select Committee, I thought it would be more helpful to explain how the local delivery of the vaccine is being rolled out.
This is of particular concern in our area due to the high numbers of those who are in the first four prioritisation categories (being care home residents and their carers, all those over 80 years of age and NHS and social care staff, those over 75 years old and those of 70 years old). Nationally, there are 15 million people in these categories. We aim to vaccinate all by 15 February.
As things stand, in Sussex, by the start of this week we had in inoculated 70,000 residents and workers. This was more than Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire combined and almost double the numbers for Surrey. However, we have a challenge and it is particularly acute to our part of East Sussex. Of the 200 square miles I represent, only one GP surgery is vaccinating. This is the Sidley surgery, which started its great work at the end of December. I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone involved at Sidley. I know, at times, it has not been easy, but it’s being delivered.
With no vaccination site available across the rest of Rother, I have been working urgently with the Sussex Community NHS Foundation, who are responsible for delivering the vaccine, to provide an alternative centre to a GP surgery. I also used a question in the chamber to the Prime Minister for assistance in getting a vaccination set-up for rural Rother (which includes Battle).
I am grateful that those from outside our area will be joining with those from Rother to open up a centre. This will be opened at Etchingham Village Hall. I recognise that this may involve travel from one part of Rother to another but the most pressing matter is to get this open. It should do so the day this paper goes to print.
The Prime Minister has committed that residents won’t have to drive 10 miles to their vaccination site. For those whose GP is within rural Rother, I am keen that this commitment is maintained. If we are going to enable our local GPs to inoculate from the local surgery then we will need more of the Astra Zeneca vaccine. This can be stored at fridge level and will not need the -70C facilities which the Pfizer vaccine, the first to be approved, requires. Of course, care home residents cannot easily travel to GP surgeries or the Etchingham centre. It makes logical sense to get the Astra Zeneca vaccine into care homes. We’ve currently vaccinated 25% of all care homes and aim to complete within ten days. I hope residents will agree this has to be a priority. We saw beforehand what happened last year when care homes were not given focus. I can assure residents that if the Pfizer drug is the chief supply level then I will work to get another centre in rural Rother so it is closer to your home.
Outside of our area, the vaccine is being given at hospital hubs and seven large regional centres have been set up to deliver at an even greater scale.
After we have delivered to the 15 million in the first four priority groups, we will vaccinate the next five groups. These are the 50 - 75 age group and those with underlying health conditions. We aim to vaccinate these further 17 million people by the end of May. I am asked, why teachers are not within this group? We are vaccinating by those who are most at risk from losing their life from COVID. Getting pupils back to the classroom will only happen when those who pupils mix with are no longer at risk of dying from COVID. The 9 priority groups of 32 million people account for 99% of the mortality risk. It’s vital we act to save their lives. Thereafter, and by Autumn when everyone else should be vaccinated, we can prioritise teachers as well as other frontline workers such as bus drivers, shop workers (and many more of you who have an equal claim).
There’s a long way to go. This is a mammoth exercise. Please be as patient as you can. We’ve vaccinated over 2.5 million people already. It’s not as good as Israel. It’s a lot better than France (who has vaccinated fewer than 50,000 people by last weekend). I would like to say a huge thank you to those who are working on the vaccination programme or working elsewhere on the front line. You are keeping us safe and helping us to return back towards normality again.
