Coronavirus in Portsmouth: Watchdog says delays in Covid vaccine programme are 'utterly disappointing'

DELAYS in vaccinating the under-50s are ‘utterly disappointing,’ the head of a Portsmouth health watchdog has said.
Dorothy Palmer getting her vaccine by Dr Caroline Kennedy-Cooke in Emsworth.

Picture: Habibur RahmanDorothy Palmer getting her vaccine by Dr Caroline Kennedy-Cooke in Emsworth.

Picture: Habibur Rahman
Dorothy Palmer getting her vaccine by Dr Caroline Kennedy-Cooke in Emsworth. Picture: Habibur Rahman

Issues relating to a manufacturer in India producing the AstraZeneca jab and the need to retest 1.7m doses have seen warnings that supplies will see a ‘significant reduction’.

All over-50s and the clinically vulnerable are set to be offered a vaccine by mid-April as planned, but under-50s will have to wait until after April 30.

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Roger Batterbury, from Portsmouth Healthwatch, told The News: ‘It's upsetting for the people of the city because people that have been following the rules and shouldering everything, I think they're going to feel quite let down.

‘Those under-50s who were looking to the roadmap we were promised for when people were going to get their vaccine, so it's utterly disappointing.

‘The amount of public monies that have gone into the vaccine programme and the logistics of this and the contracts - it's unfathomable that we are in this situation.

‘I think ministers should be hanging their heads in shame. It was so, so positive and everyone I've spoken to in the city has been so looking forward to finding out when it’s their turn when they're going to get their first jab.

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‘I think we could end up with vaccines hubs closing early and closed for the day. There’s only so many people in the city over 50.’

Portsmouth public health director Helen Atkinson has said lockdown ending ‘is linked to the continued success of the vaccine roll out’.

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NHS England figures released yesterday show some 46,276 over-55s in the city have received at least one jab. This is estimated to be 87.6 per cent of that age group.

Health secretary Matt Hancock today said that ‘every last vulnerable person’ must be offered a vaccine before the programme moves onto the under-50s.

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The NHS England letter warning of the shortages said people under 50 can only get the jab in exceptional circumstances.

It said: ‘Those aged 49 years or younger should not be offered vaccination unless they are eligible via a higher cohort because they are... clinically vulnerable, unpaid carer or frontline health and care workers.’

Labour South MP Stephen Morgan said: ‘I know many people across in Portsmouth will be anxious and worried that the booking of new first dose vaccination appointments will be paused from the end of March.

‘The health secretary needs to explain exactly what these supply issues are and what he is doing to resolve them.

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‘Our community deserves the truth to get the certainty they need. He cannot simply dismiss and downplay this.’

Existing appointments are set to be kept but vaccine centres have been told to close empty booking slots from the end of this month.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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