More than 295,000 people in Somerset have received a coronavirus vaccine so far, equating to 30.5% of the county’s population.
In its weekly data release, NHS England has published vaccination figures by constituency for the first time.
North Somerset features in the top 10 of the South West’s 55 constituencies, with an estimated 35.8% of its population having received at least one dose.
Wells, which includes Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge, is at 32.7% while Yeovil is at 34.1%, and Somerton & Frome is at 32.4%.
With the UK-wide vaccination programme averaging more than 2.5 million doses a week, the NHS aims to ensure every adult is offered a jab by the end of July.
More than 19 million people have received a vaccine so far, equivalent to 1 in 3 adults, including over 1.7 million in the South West.
Everyone in the top four priority groups has now been offered a vaccine and invites are now starting to go out to those in priority groups 5 to 9.
Andy Heron, joint senior responsible officer for the Somerset programme, said: “We have offered vaccinations to those aged 80 and over, those aged between 75 – 79, those aged between 70 – 74, people who are clinically extremely vulnerable, eligible residents of care homes for older adults and frontline health and social care colleagues in Somerset. We have had a very high take up in those groups with tens of thousands in each group choosing to protect themselves from serious illness from COVID-19 by taking up the offer of a vaccination.“
”We are turning our attention to the next groups that we are now inviting forward for a vaccination, but first I want to pay tribute to and thank the thousands of people in Somerset who have made this possible. Colleagues in GP practices, colleagues from Yeovil District Hospital, from Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, from Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group, from Somerset County Council, and hundreds of volunteers stepped forward to support the vaccination programme, and we would not have been able to do it without them.”
Julian Ellacott of South West Conservatives adds: “The vaccination roll-out continues to be a great success in the South West and across the country. Over 1.7 million people in the South West have now had at least one dose – over 30% of the population – thanks to a huge team effort from NHS staff, volunteers and everyone else involved.”
“I urge everyone to have their vaccine when called on, as every jab will bring us one step closer to normality.”
