Thousands given Covid vaccine at Melton site with new supplies awaited

The centre, at Melton Sports Village, has been closed this week while further supplies of the vaccine are awaited.

MP Alicia Kearns has this afternoon (Tuesday) updated the Melton Times on the progress of the local roll-out and she expects it to ‘speed up from here’.

Mrs Kearns said: “Melton has had a shipment of vaccinations every single week since it opened according to the Public Health lead, so that’s three deliveries so far.

“Each shipment is 975 vaccinations and a vaccine centre has five days in which to distribute all 975 before they expire.

“The 975 limit is due to the protective packaging the Pfizer vaccine requires.

“If Melton, or another centre finishes the 975 in less than five days - I understand they did one lot in two days - then they may close the centre ahead of the next vaccination delivery.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced today that just over one million people in England have now had their first vaccine jab - a second booster injection is required 12 weeks later.

As of Christmas Eve, 20,000 people had been vaccinated in Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland although this figure should be significantly higher by now.

Some residents of Melton borough have had their jab at a different centre to the sports village for various reasons.

Mrs Kearns explained: “Residents of Melton and the Vale will also be being vaccinated at Leicester General, other Leicestershire vaccination centres and in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, depending on which GP practice they’re registered with.

“So there are various places in which people are being vaccinated beyond the sports centre so it’s difficult to assess how many have been vaccinated in Melton and the Vale.”

She said Melton residents were in a fortunate position to have a venue in the town, when many other places in England do not.

Supplies of the newly-approved University of Oxford, AstraZeneca vaccine should be available locally soon since the government had pre-ordered it in much bigger quantities than the Pfizer one and because it is easier to transport since it can be stored at far higher temperatures.

“Some parts of the country do not have a local vaccination centre as yet, but in Melton we had a centre extremely quickly and have had a delivery each week,” Mrs Kearns added.

“Now we have a new vaccine I expect we will gradually see an increase in vaccinations available.

“The vaccination rates should only speed up from here.

“As with all these things, people are understandably anxious, but the programme continues apace.”