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COVID Booster Bookings Boom as thousands across South Yorkshire book Life-Saving Jab over the past week

Thousands of people across South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw booked their booster jabs this week following a change to the national COVID-19 vaccination booking service.

Almost 20,000 appointments were booked across Saturday, Sunday and Monday last week. The surge in bookings comes as the NHS is now inviting those who had their second dose more than five months ago for their booster, allowing people to book their top-up jab in advance of becoming eligible so they can receive it as soon as they reach six months.

More than 9 million eligible individuals in the UK have now received an extra dose of the vaccine since the booster programme began just seven weeks ago, including people who are clinically vulnerable, aged 50 and above, or who work in health and social care.

Booster vaccines have also been delivered or booked in at every older adult care home in South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw where safe to do so, protecting the most vulnerable from Covid-19.

Kirsten Major, Chief Executive of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “It is fantastic to see such strong uptake for the booster vaccine, with thousands of people rushing to book their extra dose over the weekend and making sure they have as much protection as possible ahead of winter. I’ve booked my booster – it was quick and easy and I urge anyone else who is eligible to take up the offer as soon as possible, as the vaccine remains the best way to keep yourself and your loved ones safe from coronavirus. The virus has not gone away and sadly we now have over 120 people in Sheffield hospitals alone with the numbers rising each week. I would urge everyone who is eligible to book in for their booster which will top-up their immunity as we head into the winter months.

Abdul Aziz, 34, who works at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as a Radiology Registrar, had his booster this week. He said: “I think it’s very important to have your booster vaccine as soon as you’re eligible to do so. Although COVID-19 can affect people differently, personally, I had COVID-19 back in October 2020 and it was quite a severe illness. I was bed bound for a week with muscle aches, fever, constant cough and trouble breathing and was almost admitted to hospital. Luckily things did improve and I recovered, however I did suffer with a few weeks of feeling lethargic and fatigued, so it can have longer term consequences as well. I was really happy when I heard about the boosters being available and knew I needed to get it as soon as I was eligible to prevent any further illness from COVID-19 and protect not only myself, but also to protect those around me.”

If it has been five months since you had your second dose – please log onto https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/ or call 119 to book in your top-up vaccine for when you hit the 6 month mark. It is the most important thing you will do protect yourself and your family.”

Those who are eligible for a booster vaccine include:

• those living in residential care homes for older adults
• all adults aged 50 years or over
• frontline health and social care workers
• all those aged 16 to 49 years with underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19 (as set out in the green book), and adult carers
• adult household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals.

There are more places delivering vaccines now than at any other point in the programme, including pharmacies, GP practices and other community sites. Please visit https://www.sth.nhs.uk/news/news?action=view&newsID=1322 to find other places where vaccinations are available.

 PHOTO: Abdul Aziz, Radiology Registrar at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust receive his COVID-19 booster vaccine.