People seeking Covid-19 boosters before they are eligible are turned away at Cambridgeshire vaccination centres
Vaccination centres in Cambridgeshire are having to turn some people away because they are turning up before they are eligible for their Covid-19 booster.
You can now get a booster on a walk-in basis at most large-scale vaccination centres in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough - but to be eligible, you currently have to be aged 40 or over, and it must have been at least six months since your second jab.
As of December 8, you can book a booster if you are 40 and over and it has been at least three months since your second jab.
The government has announced that it is accelerating the roll-out, with the aim of delivering boosters to all those aged 18 and over by the end of January.
It will shorten the timespan between doses, meaning all over-18s will be able to access their booster after three months, but the roll-out is being staggered with different age groups.
It is expected that some vaccination sites, like pharmacies, may open for longer, new ones may pop up, more volunteers will be drafted in and military personnel will provide assistance.
Jabs will continue to be delivered via age cohorts, meaning older groups will get access to their boosters after three months, before the programme is opened up to younger people.
The fast-moving situation is causing some confusion at vaccination sites, where some people have been turned away because it has emerged they have arrived before it is their turn.
Following the government announcement about the acceleration of the vaccination programme, a spokesperson for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group told the Cambridge Independent: “We understand that your readers will be keen to know when the announcement will come into effect in practice. When we get the operational information required to put the announcement into operational practice, we will update our website at www.cambridgeshireandpeterboroughccg.nhs.uk as well as our social media channels. We would therefore recommend patients keep an eye on these sources for updates.”
You can find details of vaccination sites and eligibility at www.thevaccinators.co.uk. Appointments can be booked via www.nhs.uk/covidvaccine or by calling 119.
“When people aged under 40 become eligible for their boosters, the NHS will contact them too,” said the spokesperson.
Details of walk-in vaccination clinics in the county can be found here.
Chesterton Indoor Bowls Club is not offering vaccinations on a walk-in basis as of Thursday, December 2, due to parking constraints. Instead, you need to book to visit that site.
Meanwhile, the first case of the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus was confirmed in South Cambridgeshire on Wednesday (December 1).
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Case of Omicron variant of Covid-19 confirmed in South Cambridgeshire
Where, when and how to get your Covid-19 vaccination including booster jabs in Cambridgeshire
