Nearly 130,000 Covid-19 jabs given in city

Nearly 130,000 life-saving Covid-19 jabs have now been given in Wolverhampton – with people reminded to get theirs as soon as they are eligible to do so.

Latest figures show a total of 128,611 vaccinations have been delivered in the city so far, with 114,713 people having received the first of their two doses and 13,898 patients having had both. In addition, 84% of people aged 50 to 54 have now had at least one dose.

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.

Meanwhile, anyone aged 50 and over or living with an underlying health condition can get their first jab without prior appointment at Aldersley Leisure Village anytime between 8am and 7pm until tomorrow (Friday). 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.

John Denley, Wolverhampton’s Director of Public Health, said: “Nearly 130,000 people have now had at least one dose of the life-saving Covid-19 vaccine, and just shy of 14,000 have had both.

“We are seeing more and more evidence about the effectiveness of the vaccine 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 56 new cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 people in Wolverhampton over the seven days to 29 March. That means 147 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.