New vaccine sites to open in jabs push
New vaccination centres – including a major hub – are set to open up as the region battles to keep pace with the roll out of the jab.
Health chiefs are in talks with a number of potential sites – including pharmacies and GPs surgeries – which could be brought on board in a bid to meet soaring demand.
And it is understood that a major hub is set to open the Black Country and West Birmingham in the coming days.
It came as it was revealed that the mass vaccination site at Dudley's Black Country Living Museum (BCLM) is now vaccinating more than 1,000 people a day, while across the country 16.4 million people have now had their first dose of the jab.
The vaccination programme has been accelerated this week, with the jab now being offered to people aged over-65 and the clinically vulnerable.
Stourbridge MP Suzanne Webb said the BCLM's team of 89 nurses and pharmacists, backed up by volunteers, was delivering more than 1,000 jabs a day to over-65s.
She said the second dose of the vaccine will take place in parallel to those coming for the first one – and more sites will be opened to make sure the pace is kept up.
There are now around 27 vaccination centres across the region, with further sites set to open once vaccine supplies are available.
The centre at the BCLM is expected to remain open beyond July.
Wolverhampton South West MP Stuart Anderson said: "Additional places are being looked at, as more groups are entering the programme and people have got to have their second doses.
"But the supply of the vaccine is key, and the new sites will need to be gradually rolled out.
"The vaccination programme is a phenomenal success story for the region."
Sally Roberts, Chief Nurse for Black Country and West Birmingham CCGs, said: “We continue to make incredible progress with our vaccination roll out.
"Across the Black Country and West Birmingham we are already delivering the vaccination from a number of GP-led vaccination services, vaccination centres, local pharmacies and in community outreach sites to ensure we vaccinate those in the highest priority groups and to ensure that we have good coverage right across our area.
“My message to everyone as the NHS hits an important target to have vaccinated people most at-risk of Covid-19, is to get your jab when it’s offered, and for those people in the top four priority groups, please get in touch directly to book your appointment.”
By February 11 a total of 216,242 people in the Black Country and West Birmingham had received their first dose.
In Wolverhampton pop-up vaccination sites have opened up in temples in a bid to reach BAME communities.
Meanwhile across Staffordshire more than 240,000 people have now had the jab, with 96 per cent of people aged over-80 and 98 per cent of 75-to-79-year-olds having had their first dose.
Dr Paddy Hannigan, clinical director for the county's vaccination programme, said progress had been "excellent".
