IT IS the question on many people's lips — when will I get the Covid vaccine?
Readers have been asking the County Press about the availability and roll-out of the vaccines on the Isle of Wight.
We know hundreds have received the first jab but many more are waiting.
Here is what we know so far.
Have people on the Isle of Wight been getting the Covid vaccination?
Yes, it all started on December 15 when World War Two veteran Kenneth Killeen, 98, from Newport, became the first person on the Island to have the jab. In the days leading up to Christmas, vaccination centres opened up its doors to hundreds of invited patients.
What do we know about the amount of vaccines being given on the Isle of Wight? Unfortunately, there is no local breakdown on the amount of vaccines being given. At the moment, the media can only access national stats. Additionally, the information is about a week behind. What we do know, is that in the week ending December 27, a total of 243,039 people received a Covid-19 vaccination in England. This took the total since vaccinations began on December 8 to 786,000. Two thirds of those given the vaccine were aged 80 or over. There are no Isle of Wight breakdown figures as yet, although we have been asking for them.
Where are Island patients receiving the vaccines? Eligible patients are being contacted by their doctors to invite them in for a jab. People shouldn't be contacting their surgeries to enquire, but wait for an invite. On the Island, the first centre to start giving out vaccinations was Carisbrooke Health Centre, and since then it has been rolled out to other centres including West Wight Sports and Community Centre, Westridge Centre in Ryde, and The Bay Medical Practice in Shanklin.
Were there enough vaccines for everyone in the first wave?
It appears a number of people received a letter inviting them to have the vaccine, but when they phoned to book an appointment, they were told the slots had all gone. This happened to several County Press readers. They must wait until they are contacted by their GP surgery again.
What about the second dose?
All those vaccinated were monitored for 15 minutes in the practice after having the vaccination and were booked in for a booster jab 21 days later. However, some of the second doses have been delayed. NHS England says the change is because of new advice from UK chief medical officers. Advice on the government website is that the second dose can be administered between three and 12 weeks after the first. Patients will be contacted by their GP surgery.
What about the new vaccine, the Oxford/AstraZeneca one?
This is being rolled out across the country, following the first vaccines yesterday. It has not arrived on the Isle of Wight yet, as far as we know.
What did Boris Johnson say about vaccines in his address yesterday?
The Prime Minister said all care home residents and their carers, everyone aged 70 and over, all frontline health and social care workers, and the clinically extremely vulnerable will be offered one dose of a vaccine by mid-February.
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