GPs in St Helens could start receiving the Covid-19 vaccine by next week.

St Helens Clinical Commissioning Group’s (CCG) governing body was today given the latest position on the Pfizer vaccine roll-out for primary care, which is separate to the roll-out within care homes and acute hospital trusts.

The over 80s will be the first recipients of the vaccine.

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Patients will be contacted by their GPs, with Saints’ Totally Wicked Stadium being prepped to host the mass vaccination programme.

Professor Sarah O’Brien, clinical accountable officer of St Helens CCG, told the governing body this morning that vaccinations could start from next week, but warned this could change.

The former nurse also spoke of her pride at seeing the first vaccinations being dispensed on Tuesday.

Prof O’Brien said: “As a nurse, watching the scenes yesterday of people getting vaccinated, you can’t not get a little bit proud of what the NHS does, when it needs to do it.

“It’s not been an easy year but to now have a vaccine and see people in the UK getting their vaccine was quite a special moment yesterday.

“And we are expecting, hopefully if things go to plan, we should have our first vaccines in St Helens next week, but things do change by the day.

“But let’s hope that is the case and that we can also start to vaccinate our local population as of next week.”

St Helens Star: Mass vaccinations are expected to take place at Saints’ Totally Wicked Stadium Mass vaccinations are expected to take place at Saints’ Totally Wicked Stadium

Prof O’Brien, who is also the executive director of people’s services at St Helens Council, is leaving her dual role to take up a new role at the Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership.

In her final report as clinical accountable officer, she urged the public to remain vigilant over the Christmas period and not let their sacrifices be in vain.

Prof O’Brien said: “It’s been a very difficult year for all of us, but I think just a few more months, because hopefully the vaccines are going to be, well they are here, and hopefully by the spring, that is the estimations we’re getting, we will be able to get out of some of the restrictions that we’re in.

“So it’s a plea, particularly around this time of year, and the freedom we’ve been given around those few Christmas days, to still remain cautious and vigilant because wouldn’t it just be a shame if St Helens’ rates went right back through the roof after all the sacrifices people have made.”

The Liverpool City Region was the first area in the UK to be placed under Tier 3 restrictions, before Boris Johnson called a national lockdown.

When the lockdown lifted, St Helens and the wider region moved into Tier 2.

Prof O’Brien said that while infection rates are much lower than when we were in Tier 3, they still remain high.

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Sue Forster, St Helens Council’s director of public health, told the governing body the local infection rate is going down, although it is still higher than some of our city region neighbours.

She said that, up to December 7, St Helens had an infection rate of 117 cases per 100,000 population.

More information can be found on St Helens CCG's website.