Praise for city hub over holiday vaccinations
A community centre in Wolverhampton that reopened over the Christmas break to give Covid-19 vaccinations recorded a higher than average number of first, second and booster jabs for the city in just five days.
The Hub, on Griffiths Drive, in Ashmore Park, Wednesfield, vaccinated 503 people between December 18 and 23, with approximately one in every five attending for the first time.
Councillor Phil Bateman said that although there was still a lot of work to be done in ensuring the city remained as best protected as possible, the news was very encouraging for the community.
He said: "The council and all the health workers and volunteers giving their time will continue to press as hard as we all can to ensure our residents, our citizens, have taken up the vaccinations on offer and done all they can to test and take the guidance if they do become infected.
"This action by the council, working with its partners in the NHS and others, has done much to ensure our ward here in Wednesfield North and Ashmore Park is now above average for the city for first, second and booster jabs.
"This is absolutely great news. With the New Year here, the public health team is now working hard on other areas of the city who do not sport the same statistics as we do at the moment.
"So hopefully, the Hub at Ashmore Park won’t be needed again in the same way.
"I am in regular contact with our director of public health, looking at what else can be done with local GPs and pharmacies, in order to continue the encouragement to get Covid-19 vaccinations local to Ashmore Park and across Wednesfield North."
Booster vaccine doses are available on the NHS for people most at risk from Covid-19 who have already had two jabs.
Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, Wolverhampton council’s cabinet member for public health and wellbeing, said: "The vaccine is the best protection we have against Covid-19.
"Given that case rates are creeping up again nationally, it is imperative that everyone gets both doses of the vaccination and a booster as soon as possible, not only to protect themselves but others, too.
"Please also continue to follow the Hands, Face, Space and Fresh Air guidance, and get a twice-weekly rapid Covid-19 test to reassure yourself and others that you don’t have the virus."
