8,500 residents in top two priority groups vaccinated

So far, more than 8,500 people have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine - including around half of local care home residents.

It is expected that all care home residents and staff will have received the vaccination by the end of January.

Housebound residents are also being contacted so they can receive the vaccination at home.

The top two priority groups include:

• residents in a care home for older adults and their carers
• people aged 80 years and over
• frontline health and social care workers

Older people are more likely to die from Covid-19, which is why they are being prioritised for vaccination. Over 80s are in the second priority group after care home residents and staff, as recommended by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

Nationally, over 1 million people, 34.6% of those over the age of 80 have received at least one dose of the vaccine (as of 10 January). A further 960,699 (1.7%) people under 80 have also had the first dose.

PHE will continue to monitor the long-term safety, uptake and efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccine. Data on under-vaccinated groups, the impact of vaccination on cases, hospitalisations and death, the effectiveness of the vaccine at preventing disease and transmission as well as the duration of protection will be published in future reports.

In an update to councillors, Rochdale Council chief executive Steve Rumbelow said he was 'confident' that over the next week everyone in the borough aged 80 and over will have been offered an appointment.

Any that have not should be picked up through the enhanced contact centre operation which will assist Rochdale Health Alliance (RHA) in completing the bookings.

He also said that the vaccine supply to the borough looks healthy for the next week or so.

 

 

A fourth local vaccination centre is due to open next week at Littleborough Leisure Centre on Calderbrook Road, further increasing the borough’s capacity for vaccinations.

Local people in the nationally defined priority groups, starting with patients aged 80 and over as well as people who work in care homes and health care workers are being invited to attend for their vaccination appointment.

Residents may be invited to have the vaccination at the Greater Manchester NHS Vaccination Centre at the Etihad Campus in East Manchester, one of the national large-scale vaccination sites.

The Greater Manchester centre is an additional option for people, who, once they have been contacted to make an appointment, can book through the national booking service online or over the phone. If it is not convenient for you to travel so far for a vaccination, you can opt to wait to be invited to attend one of the local vaccination centres in the Rochdale borough instead.

The local vaccination programme is being run by groups of GPs with the support of the council and NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Clinical Commissioning Group.

When it is your turn to receive the vaccine, you will be contacted by Rochdale Health Alliance or your GP surgery and invited to go for your appointment. If you’re not registered with a GP, you will need to register with one.

Appointments for the local vaccination centres are not currently being made weeks in advance because deliveries of the vaccine are only known about a few days in advance. Admin staff can only book a first appointment for a patient when the vaccine is available so at the moment appointments will be at short notice.

You must have an appointment to receive the vaccine. You cannot just turn up at one of the vaccination service centres.

Answers to key questions around the vaccination process can be found at www.rochdale.gov.uk/covidvaccine