Today Liz Truss MP praised medical staff across South West Norfolk for their work in tackling covid19 but also in delivering the vaccine programme. With vaccine centres in Swaffham, Kings Lynn and Thetford, residents across the wider West Norfolk area will be contacted by the NHS when it is their turn to be vaccinated. Constituents have raised concerns that currently there is not a vaccine centre located in Downham Market but Liz is keen to reassure everyone that residents from the town are currently being invited to attend either the QE Hospital or the vaccine hub at Manor Farm Medical Centre, Swaffham.
So far over 24,000 of the over 80s have been vaccinated, representing 34 percent of this age group in Norfolk. For further information on the vaccine programme in your area, please refer to https://www.norfolkandwaveneyccg.nhs.uk/covid-19-vaccination-programme
Liz commented ‘A number of residents in South West Norfolk have contacted me in relation to when they will receive the covid19 vaccine. I want to reassure constituents that the vaccination programme is well underway and GPs, NHS staff, the CCG are working flat out on this and have done incredible work to get the programme operational whilst at the same time tackling covid19. Initially the rollout of the Pfizer vaccine meant that there were only a few locations that could accommodate the extreme cold storage required for this vaccine. Manor Farm Medical Centre in Swaffham will start vaccinations Saturday 16 January. People will be booked in according to their age and need and the NHS will make contact with residents. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital is also vaccinating patients in West Norfolk plus there is a vaccine centre in Thetford. When the Astra Zenca/Oxford vaccine is delivered, as this is easier to store and transport, medical staff will go into the care homes and vaccinate residents, then extend this provision to the wider community including house bound residents and their carers.
This is the largest vaccine programme ever undertaken by the United Kingdom so understandably it takes time to get the programme up to speed and as more of the vaccines are manufactured, there will be the need for more vaccine centres. I have raised with the Vaccine Minister Nadhim Zahawi in relation to a vaccination centre in Downham Market and I would expect that additional locations will be announced shortly.’
