Staff at Newcastle city centre Covid-19 vaccine centre see 'staggering low' uptake

A Newcastle councillor who volunteers at a Covid vaccination hub in the city centre says that "staggeringly low" numbers of people are turning up to get their jab.

Oskar Avery, who is the councillor for Blakelaw, told a health committee the vaccine facilities at the Centre for Life were becoming a "dead zone."

He told Newcastle City Council's health scrutiny committee that staff at the vaccine centre were resorting to playing quizzes or reading books to pass the time because so few people were coming through for a jab.

Recent figures show just over half of Newcastle's eligible population has received a booster dose so far - while only 75% have had their first jab.

Blakelaw councillor Oskar Avery, who volunteers at the site, told Newcastle City Council's health scrutiny committee that staff at the vaccine centre were resorting to quizzes to pass the time because so few people were coming through for a jab.

The vaccination figures for Newcastle lagged behind the latest government figures up to February 16, which show that:

• 91% of people have had a first dose

• 84.9% their second dose.

• 65.9% have had their booster jab.

In December, the region’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign broke records, with NHS figures showing that more than 4 million people in the North East and Yorkshire came forward for their booster jabs.

Cllr Avery said: "We desperately need to get the momentum back.

"You say just over 50% of people [in Newcastle] have had their booster but there is almost no one coming in, they are staggeringly low numbers."

"We really need to get this going again," he added.

Vaccines continue to be on offer around the city at locations including Newcastle Racecourse, pharmacies, a travelling vaccine bus, and pop-up clinics at places like the Grainger Market.

The Centre for Life became the North East's first mass vaccination hub in the push to boost vaccine uptake, and since then jabs have been offered at other city locations including Newcastle Racecourse, pharmacies, a vaccine bus and pop-up clinics.

In response to Cllr Avery's concerns, Ms Smith said city health officials were working on a "fit for purpose" vaccine strategy that would mean tired staff are not having to work when there is little demand for jabs.

She added: "What we don’t want is staff who are very tired and overworked then being asked to resource a shift that actually isn’t needed.

“We are working closely with colleagues on a model that is fit for purpose and is not based on urgency or panic, but is about our communities.”