More than 100,000 people have first covid vaccine in Harrogate district

More than 100,000 people have received a first dose of a covid vaccine in the Harrogate district.

According to latest Public Health England figures, 101,976 people have had a first dose. The number represents 71% of people aged over 18 in the district.

A total of 61,863 people have had a second dose of a vaccine — 43% of over-18s.

Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day covid rate has dropped to 18 infections per 100,000 people.

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In North Yorkshire, the average is 17 and the England rate is 21.

No further deaths from patients who tested positive for covid have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital.

It means the death toll at the hospital since last March remains at 179, according to NHS England figures.

The last covid death recorded at the hospital was on April 11.

Meanwhile, health officials warned today that North Yorkshire could face a fresh period of “turbulence” after a small number of cases of the Indian variant of covid had been confirmed in the county.

Louise Wallace, the county’s director of public health, told a North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum briefing today that cases of the B16172 variant had been identified, although she said she could not confirm how many or where.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Ms Wallace said North Yorkshire was still “well prepared” to deal with any variants of concern and that the advice to residents remained the same.

She said: 

“There have been a small number of cases of the Indian variant identified across North Yorkshire.

“As the public would expect, national Test and Trace and Public Health England have been working together to identify and follow up the cases and their contacts to minimise the risk of spread.

“Our public health advice remains the same whatever the variant of covid – continue with the basics of hands, face, space and fresh air, and meet people outside rather than inside as much as possible.”

Richard Webb, director of health and adult services at the county council, told today’s briefing that while infection rates remained low, the county should still expect some “turbulence” this summer as he urged people to take up their vaccine offer “to protect ourselves, our families and our communities”.

Harrogate district first covid vaccine doses near 100,000

The number of people who have received a first dose of a covid vaccine in the Harrogate district has reached nearly 100,000.

According to NHS England statistics, 98,903 people have had a first jab so far.

The figure is an increase of 3,403 on last week.

It’s an improvement on April’s figures, when the number of those receiving a first vaccine dropped to a weekly low of 363.

Meanwhile, 43,429 second doses have been given in the district so far.

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It comes as those aged over 40 have started to be invited to come forward for the vaccine.

Another two covid cases have been confirmed in the Harrogate district, according to latest Public Health England figures.

It takes the total number of infections since last March to 7,693.

The district’s seven day covid rate has also fallen to 16 per 100,000 people.

The North Yorkshire average stands at 20 and the national rate is also 20.

No further deaths from patients who tested positive for covid have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital.

According to NHS England figures, the last death recorded was on April 11.

The death toll at the hospital since the start of the pandemic remains at 179.

Just 363 first vaccines in Harrogate district this week as supply drops

Just 363 first doses of a covid vaccine were given in the Harrogate district in the last week, as supply continues to decline.

A total of 95,500 people have had a first vaccine in the district so far, according to latest NHS England figures.

However, the number administered each week has declined throughout April due to a national shortage of supply.

NHS officials wrote to GPs across the country and warned there would be a “significant reduction in weekly supply” from March 29. Our graph illustrates how steeply the decline has been.

Earlier this week, the Stray Ferret revealed that no further first dose supply is expected in the district for a month.

A leaked letter signed by Amanda Bloor, accountable officer for North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, and Beverley Geary, chief nurse at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust revealed the supply problem.

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It comes as those aged over-42 have been invited to come forward for a covid vaccine.

A total of 38,115 second doses have been given in the district so far according to the latest figures.

Elsewhere today, a further three covid cases have been confirmed in the Harrogate district.

According to Public Health England, it takes the total number of infections since last March to 7,668.

The district’s seven-day covid rate currently stands at 14 per 100,000 people. The North Yorkshire average is 34 and the England rate currently stands at 23.

No further covid deaths have been confirmed at Harrogate District Hospital.

NHS England statistics show the last death from a patient who tested positive for coronavirus reported at the hospital was on April 11.

The death toll at the hospital remains at 179 since the start of the pandemic.

More than 95,000 receive first covid vaccine in Harrogate district

The number of people who have received the first dose of a covid vaccine in the Harrogate district has reached 95,000.

According to NHS England statistics, 95,137 have had a first vaccine.

The figure is an increase of 710 on last week.

It comes as Amanda Bloor, chief accountable officer at NHS North Yorkshire CCG, said 45 to 49-year-olds were being invited for their first jabs at the Great Yorkshire Showground site.

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However, she said the number invited was dependent on vaccine supply.

The CCG confirmed that 428,000 people have had a first dose across North Yorkshire and York, while 140,000 have had a second dose.

Meanwhile, health bosses confirmed the Yorkshire Showground site in Harrogate will not be open for vaccinations for 19 days this summer due to the Great Yorkshire Show and other events taking place.

The NHS has an agreement to use the site until August 13.

First doses of covid vaccine near 95,000 in Harrogate district

The number of people who have received a first dose of a covid vaccine in the Harrogate district has reached nearly 95,000.

According to NHS England statistics, 94,427 have had a first vaccine.

The figure is an increase of just 809 on last week due to a national drop in supply.

However, earlier this week the NHS invited those aged between 45 and 49 to come forward for the jab.

It comes as health bosses confirmed the Yorkshire Showground site in Harrogate will not be open for vaccinations for 19 days this summer due to the Great Yorkshire Show and other events taking place.

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The NHS has an agreement to use the site until August 13.

Meanwhile, four covid cases have been confirmed in the Harrogate district according to Public Health England statistics.

It takes the total number of infections since last March to 7,621.

No further covid deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital, according to NHS England figures.

The last death recorded at the hospital was April 11.

Elsewhere, the current seven-day covid rate in the district stands at 22 per 100,000 people.

The North Yorkshire average is 24 and the England rate stands at 27.

North Yorkshire to focus on 47,000 over-50s yet to be vaccinated

North Yorkshire’s vaccine drive is to focus on the over-50s and vulnerable people yet to come forward for a vaccine rather than moving on to the under-50s.

Amanda Bloor, chief accountable officer for NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, told a press briefing today the county’s take-up of the vaccine in the first nine cohorts was 88.5%.

However, she said there was still 11.5% – about 47,000 people – who had yet to come forward.

Ms Bloor said those people have either been invited to book an appointment but chose not to or their invitation was on its way.

She said health bosses wanted to get the “maximum coverage possible” before the rollout moves onto the under-50s.

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Addressing North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, Ms Bloor said:

“I just want to stress the point that we encourage everyone who is invited to come for a vaccination to take up that offer to protect not just themselves, but also their wider communities, their families and their loved ones.

“I can’t stress enough that anyone who has had an invitation for a vaccination and chose at that time not to come forward can now come forward and get that vaccination.”

Ms Bloor said the CCG wanted to “maximise the uptake” of the vaccine in those nine cohorts. Anyone yet to have a jab in those groups can contact their GP or use the national booking system.

As part of the focus, the CCG will review take-up in care home staff as well as encouraging those in Eastern European, homeless and travelling communities to receive the vaccine.

Yesterday, Sue Peckitt, chief nursing officer at North Yorkshire CCG, said that some GPs would offer spare vaccines to under-50s.

But no indication has yet been given on when vaccines will be fully rolled out to under-50s.

Ms Bloor said the government had assured the CCG there would be enough supply to vaccinate those aged 18 to 49 by the end of July.

So far, the county has vaccinated 410,000 people with a first dose and 48,000 have had a second dose.

In the Harrogate district, latest figures show 82,118 people have received a first vaccine – more than half the district’s population.

Harrogate district GPs start giving vaccine to under-50s

Some North Yorkshire GPs have vaccinated all top-priority patients and are using spare doses on under-50s, a chief nurse has said.

Sue Peckitt, chief nursing officer at NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said the county’s vaccination programme was going “exceptionally well”.

She added some surgeries had reached all eligible patients in the top nine priority groups two weeks earlier than expected.

Ms Peckitt added although bookings for all other adults aged under 50 were not yet open, some would soon be called up for last minute appointments using doses that would otherwise go to waste.

Speaking at a meeting of the North Yorkshire Outbreak Management Advisory Board today, she said:

“Many of our primary care networks are asking if they can move into the lower age cohorts and we are telling them to try not to unless it would mean vaccine wastage.

“We do know some of them have exhausted all of their eligible cohorts so you might start to hear some challenge coming back that some individuals below the age of 50 are starting to get pulled forward.”

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As of Friday, more than 404,000 people in North Yorkshire had received their first dose of a covid vaccine, with almost 40,000 people having received their second.

In the Harrogate district, a total of 82,118 people have had a first dose of a covid vaccine.

The figure for first doses across the UK is 30m and 3.5m for second doses.

The government aims to offer a first vaccine to about 32 million people in nine priority groups by 15 April and every other adult by the end of July.

The programme is now inviting those aged 50 and above who haven’t yet received jabs to book appointments after the first four groups – those aged 70 and over, care home residents, healthcare workers and people required to shield – were offered a jab by mid-February.

Ms Peckitt said while take up of the vaccine in North Yorkshire has been high, some residents were still reluctant to come forward.

She said:

“We are still trying to get the reminder of the eligible cohorts to come forward.

“There have been repeated calls to individuals that haven’t and we are working with them to try understand why they would not want to access the vaccine.”

Nearly 60,000 receive covid vaccine in Harrogate district

Nearly 60,000 people have had the first dose of a covid vaccine in the Harrogate district, according to the latest figures.

Statistics from NHS England show a breakdown of the number of people vaccinated by region and age.

A total of 58,293 people in the district have received a first dose so far – 36% of the district’s population.

The number includes:

It comes as health bosses in North Yorkshire have started to offer vaccines to over 60s and those with underlying health conditions.

The vaccine rollout in the district also received praise from Health Secretary Matt Hancock this week. Mr Hancock said health staff in the district had done an “amazing job” delivering the vaccine.

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Harrogate is currently served by vaccine sites at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Ripon Racecourse and the former Lidl supermarket in Knaresborough.

People in the district may also be invited to the mass vaccination centre at Askham Bar in York and a site at Elland Road stadium in Leeds.

Meanwhile, the company behind the new vaccination centre in Knaresborough has said it has ambitions to administer 10,000 vaccines a week from next month.

Jason Baskind, of Homecare Pharmacy Services which runs the site, told the Stray Ferret that vaccine supply is expected to improve “significantly” in the coming months.

Over 60s to be offered covid vaccine in Harrogate district

Coronavirus vaccines are set to be offered to the over 60s and those with underlying health conditions in the Harrogate district.

Health bosses at NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group said today the programme was ready to be rolled out further.

The national booking service website is now open to those people over 60 and with underlying health conditions to book their jabs.

Appointments booked in this way are usually offered at a larger regional vaccination centre or a pharmacy.

People will also be contacted by their local GP-led vaccination site inviting them to have the vaccine.

It comes as 48,753 people have been vaccinated in the district so far, according to latest NHS England figures, while 247,629 have received a first dose across North Yorkshire and York.

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Amanda Bloor, accountable officer at NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: 

“We continue to encourage everyone who is invited for a vaccination to take up the offer to protect not only themselves but their families and loved ones.

“It’s also important that people attend for their second dose when the time comes to get the maximum protection offered by the vaccines currently being administered.

“We’re seeing high take-up of the vaccine in North Yorkshire and York, but if you were one of those in the first four priority groups who did not initially come forward it’s not too late if you’ve changed your mind – you can get in touch with the national booking service online or by calling 119 to get an appointment at one of the larger vaccination centres.

“In North Yorkshire and York we are on target to offer vaccinations to everyone in the nine priority groups by the middle of April.”

Health bosses have urged those who do not want an appointment at a larger vaccination centre or pharmacy not to contact their GP surgery, as a local NHS team will contact them directly.

Vaccinations for the Harrogate district are currently being offered at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Ripon racecourse and the former Lidl supermarket in Knaresborough.

People may also be invited to the mass vaccination centre at Askham Bar near York and the Elland Road stadium site in Leeds.

Covid vaccination site to open in Knaresborough

A new covid vaccine site will open on Monday in Knaresborough on the site of the former Lidl supermarket on York Road.

The site will be run by Homecare Pharmacy Services, a Knaresborough-based pharmacist.

It will be the third vaccination site to open in the district so far.

Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground vaccine site opened on December 22 and can carry out up to 1,800 jabs a day.

A vaccine site at Ripon Races opened this month and has the capacity to vaccinate between 500 and 600 people each day.

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It was revealed at this week’s North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum press briefing that 422,000 people in North Yorkshire, York, East Riding and the Humber have had their first vaccine.

A total of 17,000 have had their second dose.