Over 160,000 first doses of the vaccination have been given out to some of the borough’s most vulnerable residents since the start of the programme back in December. Additionally, over 60,000 second doses have also been administered meaning a fifth of the borough is now fully vaccinated against the virus.
The news comes as people aged 44 and over are now eligible to book a vaccination via the national system (online at nhs.uk or by calling 119) and GP practices continue to invite clinically vulnerable residents to local mass vaccination sites.
Dr David Crichton, Chair of the NHS Doncaster Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and local GP, said: “Our teams have done an incredible job at hitting another milestone in the vaccination programme and I’d like to thank everyone involved in the rollout and also those of you who have come forward for a jab.”
Dr Crichton said that the programme of giving people their second dose of the vaccine is well underway and urges people to continue following guidance after receiving a jab to stay safe from coronavirus as Doncaster infection rates remain high.
“People will continue to be contacted when it’s their turn for their second dose. In the meantime, if you’re still waiting for your first dose, please be patient and be sure to come forward as soon as you are eligible.”
In the national news this week, it has been reported that vaccine hesitancy amongst BAME communities has halved and communities across the country are seeing much better uptake of the jab in minority groups.
Anthony Fitzgerald, Director of Strategy and Delivery at the CCG said: “We have worked extensively with local faith and community leaders to reach out to minority groups and encourage people to come forward for vaccinations.
“Over 800 people attended pop-up vaccination sites at a local mosque and Gurdwara 
and we had tremendous feedback from these events. We are working with partners across Doncaster to plan more of these kinds of events so that as many people as possible can access vaccinations in a convenient way and offer reassurance that the vaccines are safe.”
For more information about the vaccine and read frequently asked questions please visit https://www.doncasterccg.nhs.uk/covid-19-vaccine/.