Nearly 140,000 life-saving Covid-19 jabs have now been given in Wolverhampton – with increasing numbers of people receiving their second dose.
Latest figures show a total of 138,423 vaccinations have been delivered in the city so far, with 117,044 people having received the first of their two doses and 21,379 patients having had both.
People who are eligible but have not yet had their first jab are asked to do so as a matter of urgency, as more people who have had their first dose begin to receive their second.
First doses of vaccinations are still available to anyone aged 50 and over; anyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable; frontline health and social care workers; and people who are in receipt of Carer's Allowance or are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if their carer falls ill.
John Denley, Wolverhampton’s Director of Public Health, said: “The vaccine is the best protection we have against coronavirus and more and more people across the city are now having their second dose. This is important, as it acts as a booster, enhancing immunity and offering longer-lasting protection against infection.
“With over 117,000 people now having had their first dose, it is reassuring to see that more than 20,000 people have now boosted this protection by returning to have their second jab.”
"It's likely that the easing of restrictions as we leave the Covid-19 lockdown will lead to an increase in infection rates so now, more than ever, is the time to get your jab if you are eligible and haven’t yet had it.”
For more information about the vaccine, including the answers to frequently asked questions, please visit www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/vaccine or www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination. People will need to register with a GP surgery in England in order to receive the vaccine. For more details, please visit www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/gps.
Latest figures show there were 44 new cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 people in Wolverhampton over the seven days to 6 April. That means 116 people in the city tested positive for the virus in that seven-day period – though the true number of new cases will likely be higher.
Anyone with symptoms of Covid-19, which include a fever, a new continuous cough or a change to the sense of taste or smell, must immediately self-isolate and book a PCR test by visiting www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or calling 119.
The latest information and guidance around coronavirus is available at www.gov.uk/coronavirus and on the council’s own coronavirus pages at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/coronavirus. Further details of the lockdown restrictions currently in place, and the answers to frequently asked questions, are available at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/covidalert.