Tuesday marked one year since we first went into lockdown and at the time I don’t think any of us could have imagined the year that would follow. The anniversary was for many of us a day of reflection, remembering those we’ve lost and the challenges we’ve all had to face. Today, thanks to the hard work and tenacity of thousands of NHS staff, volunteers, GPs, civil servants, scientists and yes, even a few politicians, we find ourselves at the turning point, on our way out of restrictions for good.
We recently hit some key national and local milestones, having vaccinated over half of our adult population that’s over 30 million people, and on Sunday we hit a record 844,285 people vaccinated in a single day across the UK. If that wasn’t enough, this week we also announced that dexamethasone has saved 22,000 lives in the UK and millions more across the world. A discovery made by British scientists and doctors, highlighting the global impact the UK has had in the fight against the pandemic. Something that continues daily with our genetic sequencing that has been instrumental in identifying new variants and guiding international policy to prevent their spread.
Locally too, we’re doing brilliant work in Chichester, over three-quarters of all priority groups have now received their COVID-19 vaccination, which includes people who are clinically vulnerable and everyone over 50. The latter group includes my husband Michael and I. We had our Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine at the Riverbank Centre in Midhurst, and we were in and out within four minutes as the fantastic team has got the process down to a fine art.
I am aware some people were concerned about the future of the Tangmere site, and I want to assure you that the site will remain open, with no plans to close it. I am looking forward to meeting the team there who will have done more than 11 weeks of vaccinations by then. So far we’ve administered, over 2.3 million second doses and locally we’ll be prioritising more of these in April. The national programme from NHS England sets out that people have to return to the vaccination service where they received their first dose for their second vaccination. This is to ensure patient safety and make sure that people receive the same type of vaccine that they received for their first vaccination.
If you have any questions about the vaccination programme you can get more information on my website, www.gilliankeegan.com/coronavirus-vaccine or email, sxccg.vaccineenquiries@nhs.net.