Derbyshire councillor backs growing calls for late night Covid vaccinations

Coronavirus jabs are currently only being administered between from 8am to 8pm in England, with the Government defending its decision to limit the hours between which the vaccine is available.

Shadow health minister Alex Norris is among those who have demanded 24/7 vaccinations, telling the Commons ‘we believe exceptional circumstances call for an exceptional response’.

Chesterfield areas with HIGHEST Covid-19 cases as virus continues to spread

Councillor Ross Shipman, Liberal Democrat group leader on North East Derbyshire District Council, has now thrown his weight behind calls for the hours to be extended.

“The Government is wrong to say there is no appetite for vaccinations after 8pm. I’d show up for a 2am appointment, would you?” he wrote on Facebook.

The post has generated more than 60 comments, with most people saying they would gladly turn up at any time to be vaccinated.

50 mass Covid vaccine centres and 2m jabs a week - is England’s plan feasible?

One person commented: “Yes, absolutely! I would get up that early to catch a plane so why not to get a vaccination?!”

Another wrote: “Too right. Any time they asked, I'd be down there for myself, family and wider community.”

But others argued it was wiser to concentrate on opening more vaccination centres and pointed out that those administering the vaccines needed a break.

Glapwell tradesman's warning after client called him up after job and said: "I've got Covid"

Addressing parliament on Tuesday, vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi insisted the Government’s approach was the best way to reach the most vulnerable people first.

“If you go to a 24-hour regime, it’s much harder for you to actually just target the vaccine at those four cohorts because when you have limited vaccine volume, if it’s open 24 hours you don’t want people standing around or waiting – plus many of those people are over 80, we go into care homes,” he said.

“The decision to go 8am to 8pm is because we want to make sure there’s an even spread and targeting very closely.”

Mr Zahawi suggested this could change during the second phase of the programme, when the aim would be to vaccinate as many adults as quickly as possible, there would be ‘limitless volumes of vaccines’ and people would want the convenience of walking into their local pharmacy or GP and getting their jab.