May 19, 2021 4.26 pm This story is over 34 months old

NHS apology as under 40s turned away due to lack of Pfizer COVID vaccines

Pfizer supply to increase in “near future”
A young woman getting a COVID-19 vaccine at the Lincolnshire Showground. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Lincolnshire’s NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has apologised after a Lincoln resident was turned away at the Showground vaccination site, despite having a booking, due to the unavailability of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine.

The CCG said there is a large number of under 40s eligible to have a Pfizer or Moderna dose in Lincolnshire, after the government decided that most people below the age of 40 will get an alternative to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine due to a link with rare blood clots.

More Pfizer doses will be available in the “near future,” the CCG said, with plans to work with a national team for addressing the supply issues.

A spokesperson for NHS Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group said: “We are aware of one instance of someone being booked in and then turned away, and we apologise for the inconvenience.

“The national booking system should identify if you are under 40, and present a Pfizer slot for you to book into.”

They added: “In Lincolnshire people under 40 will be offered the Pfizer vaccination.

“This will be available at the Showground in the near future, exact date TBC, and is available now at other sites across the county – including one in Lincoln – and appointments can be booked online here or by telephoning 119.”

When looking at vaccination centres for under 40s nearest to The Lincolnite’s office (LN6 postal code), we discovered available slots in Newark, Gringley on the Hill, Grantham, Boston, Scunthorpe and Chesterfield, but none in Lincoln.