A vaccination site that was due to open in Hammersmith this week has been delayed by a fortnight due to a shortage in supply of jabs, MyLondon can reveal.
The news will add to concern about the coronavirus vaccination rollout in Hammersmith and elsewhere in the capital after the local MP, Andy Slaughter, warned that existing sites in the borough were operating significantly under capacity – between two and five days a week.
And elsewhere there have been reports of vaccine centres closing early due to a lack of demand.
On Monday, February 8 The Times newspaper also reported that the John Scott vaccination centre in Hackney closed early on three days last week due to a lack of take up among residents.
The latest data from NHS England shows London is lagging behind the rest of the country in terms of the percentage of those aged over 80 who have received their first dose.
As of January 31, 74.9 per cent of over 80s had received their first dose of the vaccine in London, compared with 88.1 per cent for England as a whole and 92.8 per cent for South West England, the best performing region.
Mr Slaughter told MyLondon: “The NHS is doing a brilliant job on vaccination. The contrast with the £22 billion privatised Track & Trace operation couldn’t be more stark.
“But we could go faster if there was more supply.
“Existing vaccine centres are often open less than half the week and opening major centres have been delayed, including Hammersmith’s.
“This is not just a London problem, but it is particularly worrying in London where vaccination of the very elderly is running at least 10 per cent behind the rest of the country.
“We need more vaccine but we also need more targeting of vulnerable and hard-to-reach people and those with concerns about vaccination.”
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