More than 112,000 Covid-19 jabs given in city

Well over 112,000 life-saving Covid-19 jabs have now been given in Wolverhampton – an increase of more than 15,000 in the last week alone.

Latest figures show a total of 112,398 vaccinations have been delivered in the city so far, with 105,658 people having received the first of their two doses and 6,740 patients having had both.

People who are eligible but have not yet had their first jab are asked to do so as a matter of urgency. Vaccinations are currently available to anyone aged 50 and over; anyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable; frontline health and social care workers; and people who are in receipt of Carer's Allowance or are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if their carer falls ill.

Anyone aged 50 and over or living with an underlying health condition is invited to get their first jab without prior appointment at Aldersley Leisure Village anytime between 8am and 7pm from today until Friday 2 April. They should provide their date of birth and NHS number and, if they have it, are also asked to bring their letter from the NHS inviting them to get their Covid-19 jab.

Sally Roberts, Chief Nurse for Black Country and West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Groups, said: “We are urging everyone who is aged 50 or over or who has an underlying health condition to come and get their Covid-19 vaccine now. To make it even easier to get your vaccine, from today until April 2 we are also inviting people to arrive without an appointment at a select number of sites, including Aldersley Leisure Village."

John Denley, Wolverhampton’s Director of Public Health, said: “More than 15,000 further Covid-19 vaccinations have been delivered in Wolverhampton in the last seven days, and well over 112,000 people have now had at least one dose. This is a fantastic achievement for all concerned.

“If you haven’t already got an appointment for your first jab and you are aged 50 or over or have an underlying health condition, please get down to Aldersley Leisure Village over the next few days where you will be able to have your first jab without having to have an appointment.”

He added: “We are seeing more and more evidence about the effectiveness of the vaccines in protecting people from, and reducing the transmission of, this deadly virus – particularly once people have had both doses.

"It's likely that the easing of restrictions as we leave the Covid-19 lockdown will lead to an increase in infection rates so now, more than ever, is the time to get your jab if you are eligible for it.”

For more information about the vaccine, including the answers to frequently asked questions, please visit www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/vaccine or www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination. People will need to register with a GP surgery in England in order to receive the vaccine. For more details, please visit www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/gps.

Latest figures show there were 60.2 new cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 people in Wolverhampton over the seven days to 22 March. That means 158 people in the city tested positive for the virus in that seven day period – though the true number of new cases will likely be higher.

Anyone with symptoms of Covid-19, which include a fever, a new continuous cough or a change to the sense of taste or smell, must immediately self-isolate and book a PCR test by visiting www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or calling 119.

The latest information and guidance around coronavirus is available at www.gov.uk/coronavirus and on the council’s own coronavirus pages at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/coronavirus. Further details of the lockdown restrictions currently in place, and the answers to frequently asked questions, are available at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/covidalert.