Leeds Covid vaccinations progressing "really well" says public health director as more than 40,000 people get first jab

Describing the progress made to date as a "really good news story" for Leeds, Victoria Eaton said she believed the target of ensuring everyone in the top four priority groups has received their first jab by mid-February was an achievable one.

"As long as the supply of the vaccine comes in, we're really confident we can do that," she said.

The vaccination rollout began in Leeds on December 8, the same day that Margaret Keenan - then 90 - became the first UK recipient of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab.

Almost 18,000 people in the city had received their first dose by Christmas and that figure now stands at more than 40,000 - around five per cent of the total population of Leeds.

Ms Eaton said: "The progress on the vaccinations is a really good news story at the moment for Leeds. Leeds is progressing really well compared to other places.

"The coverage is right across the city now and the workforce are there to deliver the vaccines as soon as they come in the floor. That's testament to people pulling out all the stops."

Seventeen of the city's 19 primary care networks had begun providing vaccinations from centres by last week, with the final two expected to start this week.

It has been announced that mass Covid-19 vaccination hubs are also due to open across England this week in an effort to boost the number of people inoculated against the virus.

None of those are in Yorkshire and the Humber, although it has been confirmed that Leeds United's Ellland Road homeground will become a mass vaccination centre in the weeks ahead.

Those larger venues will sit alongside 775 GP-led centres and 207 hospital sites that were due to open across the country by the end of the week.

Meanwhile, Morrisons confirmed that car parks at three of its locations, including one in Wakefield, will host drive-through vaccinations from today as it said it had offered a further 47 store car parks to the Government.

The rapid expansion of the programme is all centred around the goal set by Prime Minister Boris Johnson of offering a first vaccine dose to everyone in the top four priority groups.

Those groups - identified by Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunisation - include older people in care homes and care home workers, health and social care workers, and everyone aged 70 and over.

But there have been calls to prioritise other frontline workers too, including police officers and school staff.

Ms Eaton said there is also important work to be done to educate people about what having the vaccine means for them and the wider efforts to bring the virus under control.

"We're really conscious that we also get some good information out to people once they've had the vaccine or if they've actually had the virus themselves," she said. "It doesn't give 100 per cent immunity and then they're free to not follow restrictions.

"This idea that even if you've had the vaccine you still need to follow the rules is going to be a really important message. It's not a ticket to full freedom. It protects the vaccinated individual but we still don't know how much it transmits to other people."

Also in news: Community pharmacists call for bigger role in vaccine drive as Health Secretary promises jabs for all adults by autumn

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