More than 2.5 million Covid jabs given across Black Country and West Birmingham with roll-out continuing

Health bosses say they are currently reviewing capacity and demand while preparing to start vaccinating healthy five to 11-year-olds later this month.

Meanwhile, booster jabs for 12 to 15-year-olds are planned in the region during the school summer holidays and a further adult booster programme is expected to launch in September, a new report to the Black Country and West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group governing body says.

The governing body, which meets today(Tue), will hear that 2,564,883 vaccinations had been given across the region by the end of February.

In a quality and improvement report, Sarah Quinton, the CCG's deputy chief nursing officer said: "The system team are currently undertaking a review of capacity and demand with a plan to move the vaccination programme to a ‘business as usual’ model.

"There has been a key focus on the low uptake areas with roving teams deployed to support vaccination of care home staff where low uptake has been identified.

"The CCG chief nursing officer chaired a ‘call to arms’ meeting in early January to bring all partners together to identify any methods to tackle vaccine hesitancy, the most major risk to vaccine performance across the system.

"An eight-week plan to tackle hesitancy has been pulled together in collaboration with local place leads and directors of public health and will be monitored for success through the programme."

She said Covid vaccinations for clinically vulnerable five to 11-year-olds has commenced, with healthy five to 11-year-olds due to get their jabs from the end of March.

"Further planning is underway to enable booster vaccinations for 12-15 year olds in the summer school holidays," she said.

"There is likely to be a further adult booster programme commencing from September onwards.

"The vaccination teams have worked tirelessly to provide vaccination opportunities to all residents across the Black Country and West Birmingham area, using innovative models to access vulnerable and hard to reach groups.

"Successful partnership working across the system, led by the chief nurse has been key to the success of the vaccination programme in Black Country and West Birmingham."

She said Covid-19 cases in the community were steadily declining, with a corresponding steady reduction in coronavirus patients being cared for in hospitals in the region, while critical care patients with Covid were "remaining static".