This article was originally published in the Bromsgrove Standard, 22/02/2021, by Harry Leach: https://bromsgrovestandard.co.uk/news/nhs-and-volunteers-praised-by-bro…
NHS staff and volunteers have been praised by Sajid Javid after it was announced nearly 20 million people in the UK have received their first Covid-19 jab.
The Bromsgrove MP said he was pleased after numbers soared past 17.5 million this week.
All eligible care home residents, people aged over 70, health and social care workers and the extremely clinically vulnerable have now had their jabs, according to the government.
The NHS will now begin offering appointments to the over-65s and those aged between 16 and 64 with underlying health conditions, as well as adult carers.
On January 25, the first community vaccination centre in Worcestershire was opened at the Artrix in Bromsgrove.
The former arts centre has since delivered more than 12,000 vaccinations.
Bromsgrove Primary Care Network also began administering vaccinations at the BHI Parkside Hub, GP surgeries and home visits.
Mr Javid said: “This is a significant milestone and achievement for our country and local community.
“I would like to sincerely thank all of the GPs, NHS staff and volunteers for making this possible.
“I have been inundated with correspondence from constituents telling me how great their vaccination experience has been.
“From my calls with the NHS teams ‘on the ground’, I know this success has been achieved through hours of hard work and personal sacrifice.
“We want this lockdown to be the last, so I urge eligible residents to get their vaccination and continue to do all you can to stop the spread of the virus.”
