January 22, 2021 11.30 am This story is over 41 months old

Bid to vaccinate all Lincolnshire care home residents this week

Nearly three-quarters done already
Staff and residents at Neale Court care home in North Hykeham delighted to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

NHS bosses are hoping to offer all care homes in Lincolnshire the first COVID vaccine dose by the end of the week.

Director of Nursing at Lincolnshire CCG Martin Fahy told BBC Radio Lincolnshire that about three quarters has been completed so far.

By Thursday, nearly 50,000 people in the county received doses of vaccine — more than half of the county’s over 80 population.

Mr Fahy said Lincolnshire’s health services had been “at great guns” now for a number of weeks.

“We’re on track to complete all our care homes by this weekend, so we’re really excited about that,” he said.

“Care homes are one of our top priority groups at the moment.”

“We were one of the first areas to open up, and we now have all of our local vaccination centres up and running.

“Lincolnshire is very much ahead of the game and we’re making really good progress in that respect.”

The figures released Thursday show 49,633 jabs between December 8 and January 17. It’s the first time localised figures have been released.

It means they do not include some figures from the Boston mass vaccination centre which opened at the beginning of the week.

The data shows that of the doses given, 24,253 were aged over 80 for their first dose, with a further 1,562 receiving a second jab.

Some 22,682 people under the age of 80 have received their first vaccination and another 1,136 have been given their second.

Lincolnshire County Council’s Director of Public Health Professor Derek Ward confirmed there were currently 15 care homes with an outbreak of more than one case.

They include around 70 residents and a similar number of staff.

Earlier today, he said the vaccination news across the county was “decent”, and added the NHS services across the county had been “doing a great job” in rolling it out.

However, he still urged more local details to be released.