Peterborians urged to get jabbed before vaccination programme ends on June 30

Pensioners and vulnerable people across Peterborough and Cambridgeshire are being urged to get their spring COVID-19 vaccine by local NHS and public health experts.

As the spring vaccination programme enters its final stage, healthcare professionals are pleading with people across the region to get their jabs before June 30.

“We want to encourage everyone who is eligible to get their jab,” said Dr Fiona Head, Chief Medical Officer for NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough.

Elderly and vulnerable people across our region have until June 30 to get their spring COVID vaccine.

placeholder image — Elderly and vulnerable people across our region have until June 30 to get their spring COVID vaccine.

People aged 75 and over, those living in care homes for older adults, and people with a weakened immune system are all eligible for a spring COVID-19 vaccine.

The vaccine – which reduces the risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19 – is being offered to these groups as they are more at risk than others of becoming severely ill from the disease.

Estimates suggest 68,000 eligible across our region have already had the vaccine.

Emmeline Watkins, Acting Director of Public Health – Peterborough, said she was somewhat heartened by those figures: "It is encouraging to see that many of those who are eligible have already come forward for their spring COVID vaccine.”

However, there are still some who haven’t yet accepted their invitation.

“This vaccine could prevent you from getting seriously ill with COVID-19,” Dr Head insisted, “so if you’re invited, please accept the offer.”

Getting the spring COVID-19 vaccine is very straightforward. Those eligible can book by visiting www.nhs.uk/book-vaccine or by calling 119.

Alternatively, local walk-in clinics can also be found via www.thevaccinators.co.uk.

The calls come as new mutations of COVID – the so-called FLiRT variants – have begun spreading around the world.

Indeed, the FLiRT variant is now the dominant coronavirus strain in the United States, and has increased in prevalence throughout Canada, Australia, Thailand and India.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Lawrence Young, a virologist at Warwick university, said the latest data indicated UK infections with FLiRT variants – which had “outcompeted some of the other variants” – were likely to be similar to levels seen in the United States.

According to the UK Health Security Agency, several of the FLiRT strains are circulating in the UK at low levels.