To receive an update.
Minutes:
Sam Hepplewhite, Place Based Director (Southwark) SEL CCG gave a verbal update on the vaccination programme and the following points were noted.
· Improvements to reach residents per week were achieved.
· Vaccinated approximately:
· 90+% for those in care homes
· 70% for those working in care homes
· 82% in the 70+ age group
· 70% in the 65 to 69 age group
· 76% in the 60 to 64 age group
· 73% in the over 50’s age group
· 60% in the 40 to 49 age group
· The current strategy of not leaving anyone behind by simply being accessible and in reach with correct information was proving to be effective and the right strategy to deploy.
· The NHS vaccination programme was now open for those that were 25 years old and over and were encouraged to book their vaccination appointment.
Link to book or manage your NHS COVID-19 vaccination:
· A range of pop-up walk-in vaccination sites were in place to encourage take-up without an appointment or ID.
Link to SEL CCG Pop-up clinics: https://selondonccg.nhs.uk/what-we-do/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine/pop-up-clinics/
· The three pillars, Testing, Prevention and Control continue to be areas of information to share at the walk-in sites.
· A super Saturday was scheduled for 12 June 2021 at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital by offering an extra pod for those in the 40+ age group. This was also a walk-in set-up without a pre-booked appointment.
· Southwark GPs had sent a personalised letter on 9 June 2021 to encourage vaccine take-up and decide if they want to accept the vaccination. The GPs would also be following-up with a text messaging service.
· On Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 June 2021, SEL CCG have partnered up with South West London CCG and St John Ambulance by setting up a vaccination walk-in site at the Windrush festival in Crystal Palace.
· Ongoing planning and conversations were taking place with public health partners in light of the challenges and risks around the Delta variant by focusing on the hot-spot areas in London pre and post surge of the Delta variant taking pace.
· A lot of work was taking place in the run-up to the road map of coming out of lockdown on 21 June 2021 and national target to offer vaccines to all adults by 31 July 2021.
· SEL CCG were currently experiencing an insufficient supply of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTec vaccines. Consequently, there was a focus to continue with vaccinating cohorts 1-9 to make use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.
· Efforts were being made to reach those that were not coming forward for their second dose of their Oxford/AstraZeneca.
· The national booking system required people to cancel their second vaccination appointment first before being able to re-book for an earlier date following the announcement that the second vaccination could take place after eight weeks and not 12 weeks. Therefore, people were reacting to the offer to book their second dose cautiously as they may not secure an earlier second vaccination appointment.
· Enhanced guidance had been provided to support everyone involved in the SEL vaccination programme by way of addressing the recent anti-vaccination activity in London.
· The joint vaccination and immunisation committee were yet to release guidance on vaccinating those that were under 18 years old. Once the guidance was released the public health partners would be in an informed position to know more and advise accordingly.
Link to Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/joint-committee-on-vaccination-and-immunisation
· There was a view that school teachers in the borough were either 25 years old or over and therefore able to be vaccinated with the right vaccine.
· SEL CCG continue to work with others to learn from others and deliver the best methods in reaching residents to offer the vaccines available.
The Chair thanked Sam Hepplewhite for the verbal update and acknowledged the positive efforts to offer pop-up walk-in sites to reach residents.
RESOLVED –
That the Health and Wellbeing Board receive from SEL CCG a paper detailing the total percentages of those vaccinated in cohorts 1 to 9 covering both the first and second dose.