The sites in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire where COVID vaccines are being delivered

COVID-19 vaccinations have started to be given to care home residents and staff in Wisbech this week, as the biggest vaccination programme in NHS history expands further.

Wisbech Primary Care Network (PCN), has started to vaccinate local care home residents and staff in their own care homes this week. Residents at Orchard House Care Home were the first to be vaccinated on Monday morning, and by the end of the week the PCN will aim to have vaccinated residents in all nine care homes in Wisbech.

Dr Mandeep Sira, GP at the North Brink Practice and Clinical director of Wisbech PCN said: “Staff across all four practices in Wisbech PCN are working hard to support the COVID-19 vaccine roll out.

“We started vaccinating patients above the age of 80 two weeks ago, and now we have started vaccinations in care homes.

“It is important that we vaccinate our elderly population and those who are most vulnerable as a priority, to give them protection against the virus."

Both the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines are now available. Both vaccines have been shown to be safe and offer high levels of protection, and have been given regulatory approval by the MHRA.

However, the Oxford vaccine will not be given out at Peterborough City Hospital - instead it will be administered in community settings, such as GP surgeries.

By the end of last week, around 6,000 people had received the Pfizer vaccine at Peterborough City Hospital.

The following sites are live and delivering vaccinations to those aged over 80, care home workers and frontline NHS staff:

Peterborough City Hospital

Addenbrooke’s Hospital

Ely South and Ely North Primary Care Networks – with practices in Ely, Soham, Haddenham, Burwell and Littleport

Wisbech PCN – covering the following practices: Clarkson Surgery, North Brink Practice, Parsons Drive Surgery and Trinity Surgery

South Peterborough – covering the following practices: Oundle Medical Practice, New Queen Street & Stanground Surgeries, and Yaxley

Lakeside St Neots – covering the following practices: Cedar House Practice, Dumbelton Medical Practice, St Neots Health Centre and Eaton Socon Health Centre

A spokesman for Octagon, which runs a number of surgeries across Peterborough added; "Octagon will be starting to offer Covid-19 vaccinations to our patients in the priority groups starting with those patients over 80 yrs in the coming days. Eligible patients will be contacted directly by our staff to arrange an appointment. If you have a valid mobile phone listed to your medical record you will receive a text message to book this yourself. Please don’t contact your practice to request a vaccine as we will contact every patient in the over 80s cohort (or their registered carer) and this may take a few days. There are enough vaccines for every patient over 80 on our patient list so please do not worry, we will ensure that we can support every patient.

"If you are under 80 you will not be included in this cohort, with further cohorts being confirmed by NHS England and not Octagon Medical Practice. Please do not call us to request a vaccination or date if you are not within the over 80s cohort as we will not have any information to give to you."

For more information about Octagon visit www.octagonmedicalpractice.co.uk

Residents will be contacted by the NHS when it is the right time for them to come forward for a vaccine.

For more information visit https://www.cambridgeshireandpeterboroughccg.nhs.uk/news-and-events/latest-news/covid-19-national-vaccination-programme/