Nus Ghani, MP for Wealden, has welcomed fantastic progress in the ongoing vaccine rollout in Hailsham.
Hailsham’s three GP surgeries have now vaccinated the overwhelming majority of people in the top four priority cohorts and some Hailsham residents over the age of 70 have also been receiving the vaccine at the Eastbourne Beacon Centre.
Thanks to a huge effort by Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust and Hailsham’s three GP practices, the town is now ahead of the national average for rollout to over 70s and well on course to complete vaccinations for the first four priority groups by the middle of this month.
All Hailsham residents living in care homes for older people have also been offered the Covid-19 vaccine, with only a small remainder of homes currently experiencing an outbreak being postponed until the earliest opportunity.
Overall, more than 350,000 people in East Sussex have received this vital protection and many more thousands are due to take place this week. Last weekend, more than 10,000 people were vaccinated by the teams working Saturday and Sunday across all vaccination services in East Sussex.
Until now, everyone has been asked to wait to be contacted by the NHS and people aged 70 and over and those who are clinically extremely vulnerable continue to be contacted for an appointment. However, to ensure that the final phase of vaccination can be concluded speedily without anybody missing out, the Government is calling on anyone aged 70 and over who has not yet been vaccinated and not yet contacted by the NHS, to contact the national booking service to arrange a jab. This can be done online - www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination or by calling 119.
Nus Ghani said: “Vaccines are our way out of this pandemic, and I am pleased that the rollout has been a great success across Wealden. It is excellent news that Hailsham is ahead of the national average and well on track to meet the upcoming deadline. Some sites have taken longer to set up than others, but the NHS in East Sussex made clear from the beginning that nobody would be forgotten. Our local health authorities have done a fantastic job and I thank them for all their efforts. If you are over 70 and have not yet been contacted for an appointment, please do get in touch with the NHS via the national booking service to arrange a jab.”
