The GP-led mass vaccination programme has been running since December, with mass clinics running at Saints’ stadium. However, only the first wave of patients to receive the Pfizer vaccine have had their booster jabs, after the government changed its strategy to ensure more of the population receive an initial dose. The arrival of the Oxford-AstraZeneca has enabled GPs to ramp up its operation, allowing them to start vaccinating smaller care homes and housebound patients. On Wednesday, St Helens CCG’s governing body were told the primary care network (PCN) vaccination programme is going “extremely well”, with GPs now offering vaccinations to over 70s.
Sarah Platt THE first patients to be vaccinated at St Helens rugby league club s stadium on the day it became a NHS Mass Vaccination Centre in Cheshire & Merseyside have spoken about getting the Covid-19 jab. The large-scale vaccination facility which opened its doors this morning at the Totally Wicked Stadium will be able to deliver thousands of Covid-19 vaccines every week as part of the national vaccination programme. The venue has been launched in addition to already established GP-led and hospital vaccine services. GP-led clinics had been vaccinating loc al people at the stadium over the past few weeks - but Monday marked its first day as as a mass regional centre.
A Covid ward at Whiston Hospital THE number of recorded coronavirus cases in St Helens increased by 251 within 24 hours, official figures show. The figures underline the rapid acceleration in cases over recent weeks, which is being mirrored across the country. Data released by Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor, Steve Rotheram, meanwhile, showed the weekly case rate for St Helens had gone up to 578.2 per 100,000 people (to January 4) a rise of 365 from the previous week. St Helens rate has grown significantly but is still the lowest across the neighbouring areas, with Knowsley s rate 944.7, Liverpool s 732.6, Halton s 1000.7, Wirral s 711.2 and Sefton s 713.9. It leaves the overall rate for Liverpool City Region as 750.1 per 100,000. The country is in a strict national lockdown, with school closures and a strong stay at home message.
Dr Hilary Flett (right) clinical lead for the borough’s Covid-19 vaccination roll-out and Bill Adair, the first person in St Helens to receive the Pfizer jab MORE than 1,000 people in St Helens have been vaccinated against Covid-19, as the borough’s mass immunisation programme kicked into gear. St Helens CCG, working with local GP practices, started to roll out the Pfizer jab to patients over the age of 80 on Wednesday. Patients were invited by their GPs to Saints’ Totally Wicked Stadium, the first community vaccination centre to open in Cheshire and Merseyside. St Helens CCG has confirmed that on Wednesday, 355 doses of the Pfizer jab were administered, followed by 295 on Thursday and 354 on Friday.
Staff needed for St Helens mass Covid vaccination programme STAFF and volunteers are needed to help the Covid-19 vaccination programme that has got underway in St Helens. The NHS is undertaking a massive recruitment drive to help it deliver the largest vaccination programme in its history. As part of the Covid-19 vaccination programme, community vaccination centres will be set up across the region. Saints’ Totally Wicked Stadium is the first community vaccination centre to open in Cheshire and Merseyside, and currently needs a range of roles filling. Mass vaccination clinics coordinated by the borough’s GPs have been running at the stadium since Wednesday, and are expected to be operating well into next year, subject to availability of the vaccine.