As the largest ever NHS vaccination programme enters its last lap, Dr Ronan Fenton, System Medical Director for Mid and South Essex Health and Care Partnership has encouraged local residents to come forward for their first jab and remember to get their second dose, which they called “vital and lifesaving”.

The plea comes as every adult in the UK can now book a life-saving COVID vaccine and people aged 40 and over are now able to book in their second jab on the national booking system from eight weeks after their first dose - as we enter the final stretch in our race to protect the country and return to normality.

Vaccines are our route of the pandemic - vaccinated people are less likely to get COVID-19 symptoms, be admitted to hospital or die from the disease, and there is growing evidence that vaccinated people are less likely to pass the virus on to others. That is why it is vital for everyone who has not done so yet to come forward and get their jab, so we can build on the continued success of our historic vaccine programme - which has saved over 14,000 lives so far as part of a national effort to protect the country.

New analysis by PHE shows for the first time that 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective against hospitalisation from the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant. Studies have found the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to be 96% effective against hospitalisation after two doses, while the Oxford-AztraZenaca is 92% effective.

The last push comes as the NHS in England passed the milestone of having delivered 60 million doses across England in just six months. Almost 1.3 million doses of vaccine have been given in mid and south Essex; more than 743,000 first doses and more than 551,000 second doses, from 37 local vaccination sites.

Dr Fenton, System Medical Director for Mid and South Essex Health and Care Partnership, said:

“Thanks to the incredible work of NHS staff up and down the country, more than three quarters of adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine, with over half having received both.

“I am pleased that across mid and south Essex, 75.5% of adults have taken up the offer of the jab and in doing so, are helping the country as a whole beat this devastating virus.

“If you have been invited but are yet to make an appointment, please do so today and bring us one step closer to freedom.”

Bookings can be made via the National Booking Service, while people who cannot get online can call the service on 119 for extra support in doing so. Text invitations appear as an alert from ‘NHSvaccine’, including a web link to the NHS website to make a booking.

We are now approaching the final stretch in our race to vaccinate people as quickly as possible – so when you get the call, get the jab, so that we can put this pandemic behind us for good. To book or manage your coronavirus vaccination, please visit: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/.

Vaccinations are being administered at more than 1,600 sites across the country, including mosques, museums and rugby grounds, meaning the vast majority of the people live within 10 miles of at least one vaccination service. You will be offered a choice of appointments at NHS Vaccination Centres or pharmacy-led vaccination services, as well as some GP-led sites.

Local Walk-in COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics

COVID-19 AstraZeneca walk-in clinics in Essex are open this week (Monday 14 June - Sunday 20 June) for people aged 40+ to have their first vaccine and anyone aged 50+ to bring forward their second dose. The COVID-19 AstraZeneca walk-in clinics in Essex are located at:

• The Lodge Vaccination Centre
• Chelmsford Racecourse Vaccination Centre
• The Cliffs Pavilion Vaccination Centre
• The Mill Vaccination Centre
• Runnymede Hall Vaccination Centre
• Alastair Farquharson Vaccination Centre
• Tylers Ride Vaccination Centre

No appointments are needed to use one of Essex’s COVID-19 AstraZeneca walk-in clinics. However, please wait 8 weeks before having your second dose.