Biggest issue facing Doncaster's Covid-19 vaccination programme is supply - not people unwilling to get their jab

Dr David Crichton, head of Doncaster NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said sites which include the Keepmoat Stadium, Rutland House and leisure centres in Thorne, Adwick and Mexborough, were open 8am till 8pm but the a lack of doses at some points meant the full hours weren’t being used.

The CCG lead also said the top nine priority groups in line for a vaccine made up around half or Doncaster’s population. This includes over 50s right to the highest priority of care home residents and staff.

Dr Crichton said the Pfizer vaccine was a little more troublesome than the Oxford/Astrazeneca jab because it had to be stored in a freezer at -70c and has a short life-span once at room temperature.

There have been reports of wastage of the Pfizer jab but Dr Crichton told councillors at a recent meeting that no vials had been thrown away in Doncaster.

He added that if vaccinators administer jabs to all of Doncaster’s care home residents, staff and those who are over 80s, the team will have covered between a ‘third to half’ of all of the very high risk group.

Dr Crichton said: “The problem we’ve got is the limited availability of vaccines. The primary care sites were contracted to open seven days a week, 8am to 8pm and the reality is, we’ve never got to that stage.

“It’s a bit start and stop because you know the vaccine is being distributed across the country, and there is only a finite supply in the country.

“For all the at risk groups that have been identified as almost half the population of Doncaster that’s the challenge ahead of us.

“So at the moment, because we’ve got a small number of vaccines, we’ve got a huge pool of people to vaccinate, but there’s not an issue of trying to get people through the door.

“So, as well as the sites, we’ve got roving teams up and up and running for the last couple of weeks going into individual care homes to make sure they’re vaccinated.”

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