Reading to get mass vaccination centre “in coming weeks"

Speaking at the council’s Policy committee this week, councillor Tony Page, speaking on behalf of councillor Graeme Hoskin, lead member for Health, gave an update on the latest situation with vaccines in Reading.

He said: “A mass vaccination site will be going live in the coming weeks.

“It is clear that the mass rollout of vaccination needs to ramp up hugely over the coming weeks if government promises on this are to be kept.”

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He also revealed that the NHS is not allowing the council to share the amount of vaccines delivered in the town.

Vaccines for Reading residents are currently being administered at hospital hubs – in Wokingham and the Royal Berks – for frontline health and social care staff – at GP surgeries across the town and mass vaccination sites, with the closest currently in Newbury and Slough.

Delivery of the vaccination programme is being led by the NHS.

Continuing Cllr Hoskin's update, Cllr Page said: “Unfortunately, and somewhat ridiculously, the NHS are not, at the moment, allowing us to publicly share specific vaccine delivery numbers.

“A regular update on progress from the NHS to councillors and MPs is promised but has not been seen yet.”

The lead member for Health was responding to a question from Green councillor Rob White, who asked for an update on the vaccine, including the local challenges and whether Cllr Hoskin agrees that, as well as prioritising the most vulnerable in society, frontline workers should also be prioritised.

In his response, Cllr Hoskin added: “I agree that vaccinating front line workers is important.

“This is why we have the vaccine available at the two hospital hub sites I have mentioned.

“Furthermore, I strongly believe the government need to remember all essential frontline workers who put themselves in harm’s way in order to ensure our town continues to function.

“This includes school staff, drivers, shopworkers, police, firefighters and frontline council staff, but probably not MPs as suggested by the Conservative MP for Winchester.”

Every local Primary Care Network in Reading is now offering the vaccine to over 70s, care home residents and those who are extremely clinically vulnerable.

READ MORE: The Reading surgeries, hospitals and halls providing coronavirus vaccines

Residents will be directly contacted by the NHS when it is their turn for the vaccination and should not contact their GP for this.

The lead member for Health said: “In terms of challenges, it is not only about the logistics of rollout or vaccine supply chains, but ensuring we communicate and engage with people effectively about the vaccine and address residents’ concerns or “misinformation” they might receive.

“For example, we and NHS colleagues are regularly explaining that although it has been developed at pace to strengthen our pandemic response, the vaccine is safe, has passed all the usual regulatory checks and there is strong evidence of its effectiveness.

“It is also true that for those who are vaccinated, they still need to follow the same lockdown and “hands, face, space” rules as everyone else, as they can still inadvertently pass the virus on to others and no vaccine will provide 100 per cent immunity.”