Vaccination sites in the Harrogate district are preparing to get busy again following the announcement of spring booster jabs.
Covid clinics in Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge have wound down or paused since December.
But that is about to change after the government said people aged 75 and over, care home residents and people with weakened immune systems can now book fourth jabs.
Yorkshire Health Network, which is a federation of 17 GP practices in the Harrogate district, operates sites at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate and Ripon Races.
The showground will have its next clinic from 8.30am to 5pm on April 1.
The Ripon Races site.
Dates at Ripon Races are being finalised so they don’t clash with horse race meetings.
Tim Yarrow, operations manager at Yorkshire Health Network, said:
“We anticipate uptake to be high in the 75 and overs as Harrogate has a large population in that cohort.”
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Knaresborough and Pateley Bridge
Homecare Pharmacy Services’ site in Knaresborough.
Homecare Pharmacy’ Service‘s vaccination site at Chain Lane in Knaresborough is to add Monday covid clinics to its existing Friday and Saturday clinics. Bookings are encouraged to avoid having to wait.
Pateley Bridge Pharmacy, which paused its vaccination programme in December, plans to start again soon.
Samina Khan, who owns the pharmacy, said:
“I think we will restart in April, with bookings from March 25, but we are still finalising details.”
Infections rocketing
It comes as infection rates continue to soar in the Harrogate district.
The seven-day infection rate is now 885 per 100,000 people. It was 343 at the start of the month.
It is the highest rate in North Yorkshire and above the England rate of 833.
Harrogate West and Pannal Ash is the worst affected area in the county. It has recorded 135 positive cases in the last seven days.