Wirral Health and Care leaders appeal to those most at risk of coronavirus to come forward for their vaccine

Health and Care leaders in Wirral are appealing to those people most at risk of coronavirus to come forward and receive the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination.

We have made tremendous progress in vaccinating people in the main priority groups since December and to date over 168,000 people have been vaccinated.  However, there are over 10,000 people who are at most of risk of complications from COVID-19, or may present a risk to others because of their job or role, who have yet to come forward.  These include people aged 70 years or over, health and care staff and those who are designated as Clinically Extremely Vulnerable or are at higher risk of complications due to existing conditions such as diabetes or asthma.

Dr Paula Cowan, Wirral GP and Chair of NHS Wirral CCG comments:

‘It is really important that we encourage people to come forward and receive their vaccination, especially those who are considered to be a priority.  While any vaccination remains a personal choice, the vaccines we are using are proven to be safe and effective and are the best way to help us to tackle this pandemic and reduce the burden on health and care services locally.’

COVID-19 still represents a serious risk to health and is an important part of the roadmap to ease lockdown restrictions and to managing any future outbreaks of coronavirus in Wirral.

Julie Webster, Director of Public Health comments:

‘In Wirral, the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 continues to fall, thanks in no small part to all the hard work of our residents, key workers, health and care staff and our communities.

However, responding to this pandemic requires using all the tools we have available. Wearing masks, washing your hands and social distancing all help reduce your chance of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others, but these measures are not enough. Vaccines work with your immune system, so it will be ready to fight the virus if you are exposed, and help avoid linked illnesses, such as Long Covid.

The combination of getting vaccinated and following government guidelines to protect yourself and others provides the best protection from COVID-19.

The vaccination aim of achieving population wide immunity is the only way we can start to find our way out of this pandemic.

I would strongly advise anybody who is offered one to take it’

People who consider they are in these priority groups and wish to receive their vaccination can book their appointment as below:

People under the age of 50 who are designated as Clinically Extremely Vulnerable or are at higher risk of complications due to existing conditions such as diabetes or asthma are advised to contact their GP practice to arrange an appointment

People aged 50 and over can either contact their GP practice to arrange an appointment at a local vaccination site or they can book an appointment on-line at the Clatterbridge Vaccination Centre using this link https://bit.ly/3cKnWTr. 

To book online, people will need to know their NHS number which they can find by using the Find your NHS number service.

 

Further information about the COVID-19 vaccine, including the rollout of the vaccination programme in Wirral, is available at  https://www.wirralccg.nhs.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-covid-19-vaccine/