Chesterfield’s Covid-19 vaccination sites ‘out of jabs’ and currently closed, MP says

Toby Perkins said the Winding Wheel theatre and Wheatbridge Surgery are unable to carry out jabs on Wednesday and Thursday.

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He said: “They are out of vaccines until Friday – and their allocation for next week will only be enough to open for three days.

“The issue isn’t vaccination centres or staff, it’s the supply of vaccines.

“I am concerned – it’s not just a local issue, it’s a national one – and I’m on the case.

“There are lots and lots more people who need their vaccinations.

“We’ve a hell of a long way to go.”

The Derbyshire Times has put Mr Perkins’ concerns to NHS England.

By February 15, the Government aims to have offered a first vaccine dose to everyone in the top four priority groups – care home residents and workers, NHS frontline staff, the over-70s and the extremely clinically vulnerable – which amounts to 13.9 million people across the UK.

In Derbyshire, this equals around 240,000 people.

During Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Boris Johnson said: “We are on track to deliver our pledge, though it is very hard because of constraints on supply.”

Earlier, Home Secretary Priti Patel told the BBC: “There remains a long and difficult road ahead.

“This is the largest mass vaccination programme our country has ever seen.”

Ms Patel was also asked about why the roll-out of the vaccine appeared to be slower this week than last week.

She said Pfizer, which is producing one of the jabs being used in the UK, was upgrading its factories and changing its supply chains.

She added: “Of course that will inevitably have an implication in terms of the actual supply of the vaccine.

“We will see reconfiguarion of the supply chain.

“I think that is inevitable because of the demand domestically and internationally.”

According to NHS England figures released on Wednesday, 830,828 Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the Midlands.

The Derbyshire Times asked NHS England for more localised vaccine data but was told it is not currently available.

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