The North East has 'nailed it' with vaccination programme

Tyne Tees
Friday 26 February 2021 at 7:10pm

Matt Hancock, Health Secretary Credit: PA

Matt Hancock said the North East had 'nailed it' on the vaccination programme at Friday afternoon's Downing Street press conference.

The Health Secretary was quizzed by local journalist, Jim Scott from the Northern Echo newspaper, who raised concerns about vaccination centres in the North East not receiving enough supplies.

Reporter, Jim Scott said: ''Here in the North East we have some GP surgeries having to cancel vaccine clinics, because they are not receiving the supply that they expected.

''One surgery in our region can't run clinics until March 5th at the earliest because of lack of supply. We have huge rural areas that rely on GP surgeries for vaccines and the mass vaccination centres used in urban centres.

''Why are people in the north still having to travel more than 14 miles in some cases to get their dose, and is this a sign that your vaccination strategy has been designed for the south?''

In response to the question, Matt Hancock praised the efforts of the North East:

He said: ''One of the brilliant things about this vaccination programme is how it has been equal and fair, UK-wide. The North East has done a brilliant job in vaccinating, it came out of the blocks really fast, and has worked absolute wonders, and I want to thank in particular the volunteers and the NHS staff in the North East who have worked so hard to get these vaccinations done.

''There has been a lower amount of supply across the whole UK in the last week or so. You'll have seen that in the last 48 hours that has picked up again, and yesterday we did over half a million jabs again for the first time in over a week, so that supply is coming back.

''We all know that it is lumpy, it comes up and down, and we're going to have a bumper March. I do know that there have been some vaccination centres that are so efficient they've been able to use all of their supply and I'm very, very grateful for the work that they've done.

''But the good news is that these challenges are faced equally throughout the whole of the UK, and I get people from brilliant local newspapers in the South West asking the same question as you're asking about the North East, and that gives me the impression that this challenge of the rollout is equally balanced.

''As far as I'm concerned, every single person getting access to their jab in the North East is as important as in every other part of the country, and we'll make sure that the programme delivers according to those principles. I don't know what more I can say about my enthusiasm for what the North East has done and really, really nailed it in this vaccination programme so far.''

It wasn't just the health secretary who was singing the region's praises, Dr Susan Hopkins, Senior Medical Adviser of Public Health England told reporter Jim Scott that the North East had been achieving 'above and beyond' the rest of the country.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van-Tam issued a stark warning to the already vaccinated Credit: Matt Dunham/PA

Reporter Jim Scott followed up with a question about lockdown fines.

He said: ''North Yorkshire Police are still giving out hundreds of fines for lockdown breaches as people travel to beauty spots in our region, including in some cases more than 100 miles. Now that the Prime Minister has set out his roadmap out of lockdown, are you concerned that people now think the end is here, and are less likely to stick to the rules?''England's Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van-Tam responded with a firm ''yes''.

He said: ''Yes is the answer, I do worry that people think it's all over, the more they think that when it's not, the greater the headwind they're going to give to the vaccine programme and the more at risk will become the milestones set on the roadmap.

''It's just a collective effort, it is actually up to us whether we can hold our nerve and see this through properly to the end of the roadmap, or whether we're going to kind of fall at the last furlough.''

Professor Van-Tam's comments echoed his earlier warning to everyone not to ''wreck it now'' as some areas in the UK have seen a rise in Covid-19 infections, particularly in the Midlands and from the East and West of England and parts of Scotland.

Addressing the press briefing, he said: "Although it is generally good news, I'm afraid it is better news in some places than in other places and it is not a battle we have won yet".