The vaccination roll-out is well under way in South Devon, with all GP practices offering vaccinations to patients in priority order. As of 24 January, 86,349 people in the Devon Clinical Commissioning Group area had received their first jab.
Different vaccination centres are at different stages in vaccinating their over-80s due to the difference in local demographics and vaccination capacity. Once all over-80’s have been vaccinated, practices will begin calling over-70’s. The NHS will get in touch with you when it is your turn to be vaccinated – please do not call your local hospital or GP practice about getting the vaccine as this blocks phonelines.
As well as the GP-led centres already in operation in Devon (including St Boniface House near Buckfastleigh, and the Riviera International Centre in Torquay), two new large-scale NHS Vaccination Centres are set to open on Tuesday 26th January – Home Park Stadium in Plymouth and Westpoint Exeter. These new centres will allow thousands more vaccinations to be given every week. Eligible patients will be contacted by a national booking system and will then have the choice between attending the large vaccination centre and waiting for their GP to contact them to have the vaccine more locally.
GP-led facilities are delivering the vaccine to residents and staff in care homes, and GPs will also be working with local community nursing teams to deliver the vaccine to housebound older people.
The NHS needs volunteer marshals and stewards to help at vaccination centres, find out more and register your interest here: https://ourplymouth.co.uk/volunteer-opportunity/covid-19-vaccination-program-volunteers-needed/
For those who have already received their first dose of the vaccine, the advice remains the same as for the rest of the population – stay at home as much as possible and remember, ‘Hands, Face, Space’.
Read the full vaccination programme update below.
