One Million COVID-19 Vaccinations Delivered in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin

Throughout the pandemic, hundreds of people have come together to set up and manage a vast number of vaccination sites to ensure our population has access to the vaccine. These include GP-led vaccinations sites, the mass vaccination sites (at Telford International Centre, Ludlow Racecourse, Shrewsbury Indoor Bowls Centre, Robert Jones Agnus Hunt), hospital hubs (at Princess Royal Hospital, Telford and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital), community pharmacy sites, various walk-in and pop-up clinics and Bob the Bus – the mobile vaccination bus which has been visiting local communities.

Doctors and nurses (mainly from general practice), community pharmacists, volunteer vaccinators, site managers and the army of volunteers who have supported vaccination clinics by registering patients, car park marshalling and acting as stewards, have worked side-by-side to deliver over a million vaccines.

Angie Wallace, Senior Responsible Officer for the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Covid-19 Vaccination Service, said: “Delivering one million vaccination jabs in less than a year is a truly remarkable and a testament to the hard work and dedication of all our vaccination teams – many of whom are delivering this programme on top of their normal duties in GP practices and hospitals.

“An enormous ‘thank you’ must also go to each and every person involved in the programme including our vaccinators, GPs, pharmacists, hospital teams, the CCG team, local authorities and the many, many volunteers it takes to run the programme across our area. Not forgetting everyone who has rolled up their sleeves and been vaccinated.

“It has been a tremendous team effort and I am proud of the resilience and determination everyone has shown, through what has been a very challenging couple of years for us. Together we have made huge strides in tackling COVID-19. However, our focus remains on ensuring everyone is protected and that no one gets left behind.”

But the vaccination programme is not coming close to slowing down. As more people become eligible for their booster vaccinations, more appointments are becoming available.

The booster is now being offered at least three months (91 days) after a second dose and can be pre-booked from 2 months. Protection from the vaccine starts to drop over time and with the emergence of the Omicron variant there is a push to boost everyone’s immunity, with three vaccines being key to offering maximum protection against COVID-19.

Everyone who had their second dose over three months ago should now book their booster jab to ensure maximum immunity.

If you have not yet had a vaccine – whether a first or second dose or a booster (if you have been contacted by the NHS to confirm that you are eligible), then please don’t delay. Arrange yours now, or head to a walk-in clinic to protect yourself and your loved ones, and to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in the run up to Christmas festivities.

You can find out more about the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin vaccination programme here.