Dorset residents urged to be patient over Covid boosters

Health chiefs say they are working to 'pull out all the stops' to expand the vaccination programme in Dorset following the Prime Minister's announcement on Sunday.

And system leaders are asking local people to be patient while they get everything in place.

But there is no word on if this includes a new walk-in vaccination centre, or mobile sites or if the army will be involved.

At present, there is no dedicated facility for walk-ins in Dorset - although some places are accepting walk-ins at different times.

And health bosses say both large vaccine centres at Kings Park and Dorchester centres are very busy and walk-in availability is very limited. People are advised to make an appointment using the National Booking System.

Yesterday, it was confirmed there have been five cases of Omicron identified in Dorset.

Officials have recognised that many people have had issues booking their booster - and they say they're working hard to increase availability.

Dorset residents have reported issues booking boosters for weeks - with many saying they are being sent to Salisbury and Totton.

A renewed call has been made for vaccinators across the county.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a huge expansion of the booster roll-out

Dr Andy Rutland, Dorset GP and clinical lead for the Dorset COVID-19 vaccination programme, said: “This is a monumental effort as we step up even further to expand the vaccination programme for everyone who’s eligible.

“We know that some people have had issues booking their booster at a local venue and we’re working hard to keep increasing availability. Please be patient and do keep checking the national booking system as slots are being added all the time.

“We’re all in this together and we owe a huge thank you to everyone supporting the roll-out – staff, volunteers and the public.

"It’s been a tough year for all of us so please continue to be kind, patient and understanding to our vaccine teams who are working tirelessly to make this happen.”

You can sign up to be a vaccinator here: https://joinourdorset.nhs.uk/vaccinators/

Five cases of the Omicron variant have been confirmed in Dorset

Earlier this month, Bournemouth West MP, Conor Burns wrote a letter to the Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, saying the booster programme “in both the BCP and Dorset Council areas is unable to cope with demand”.

And the week before, Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood, called for a wide-scale vaccination hub in Dorset to increase the output of jabs across the county as people reported being offered appointments across the south.

A new vaccination centre opened at the beginning of the month in Dorchester.

We have asked Dorset CCG:

• If plans are being considered for a new large vaccine centre in Dorset
• Where in Dorset can people walk-in for a booster vaccine?
• Where will mobile units be situated?
• Where are the military being deployed to help in Dorset?
• Will vaccine centres be open during Christmas?

Sam Crowe, director of Public Health for Dorset Council and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, said: “With the emergence of the Omicron variant alongside existing high infection rates locally, it’s more important than ever that we all continue to play our part in protecting ourselves and each other from the risks of COVID-19.

"We are working closely with the NHS to support the expansion of the booster programme, and getting your booster is the best way to protect yourself from serious illness caused by any variant of COVID-19, so I urge everyone to get yours as soon as you can.

“Nationally, we can see that Omicron is spreading quickly, and whilst there are still a lot of unknowns about this variant, the principles to help us reduce transmission remain the same.

"Vaccination alone will not stop the virus from spreading, so to be able to live safely with COVID-19, we do need to keep taking precautionary measures. This includes taking regular rapid tests to check you’re not infectious, particularly before meeting others or attending gatherings, making sure you have plenty of ventilation, and wearing a face covering in indoor and crowded spaces.

"If we all follow these measures now and get boosted as soon as possible, we can hopefully prevent the need for further restrictions and keep doing the things we all enjoy.”

Dorset's Covid-19 vaccination roll-out is being co-ordinated and delivered by the NHS with partners including councils and the voluntary and community sector.