ST HELENS’ vaccination efforts reached a new milestone this week after the final cohort of housebound patients received their first Covid jab.

GP practices have been working flat out since it started offering the Pfizer vaccine in December.

In recent weeks, they have been working through its housebound patients, following the arrival Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

This week, staff from Marshalls Cross Medical Centre visited 15 housebound patients, some of whom had previously declined the vaccine or had not been able to have it due to medical reasons.

A spokesman for St Helens CCG has confirmed that this means 1,100 housebound patients have now been given an initial dose of a Covid vaccine.

Rita Bustacchini, from Sutton, was one of the patients to receive her vaccine from the team at home yesterday.

Rita, 81, said: “I’m pleased that the nurses were able to come to my house to give me the vaccine.

“It is so important to protect everyone.”

Rita was given her vaccination by Julie Norris, practice nurse at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre, who has worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic.

Julie said: “It’s really important that our housebound patients are vaccinated as it’s not only going to keep them safe but also any family members or carers who come into their home to support them.

“Having the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine means we can get out to those housebound patients that may not be able to get to the vaccination clinic at Saints.”

Katie Etheridge, Marshall’s Cross practice manager, said Julie has played a “key role” in helping deliver the Covid vaccine to the most vulnerable people in the borough.

She said Julie, who contracted Covid-19 in 2020, deserves a medal for her dedicated work.

Katie said: “Julie has worked throughout the pandemic despite having Covid herself last year.

“She has continued to review patients in the practice along with our GPs and has played a key role in delivering the Covid vaccines both in nursing homes and patient’s own homes as well as at the mass clinic at Saints.

“Throughout it all Julie always has a smile on her face and is a very valuable member of the nursing team, we are extremely proud of all of the team here at Marshalls Cross we have had to adapt quickly to the changes that this pandemic has brought but as a team we have faced these challenges together.

“Julie deserves a medal and the recognition for her dedicated work to and for our patients.”

Following their efforts to vaccinate the borough’s housebound patients, GPs will now turn their attention back to the mass vaccination clinics at Saints’ rugby stadium.

A spokesman for St Helens CCG said it is on course to meet the government’s target of delivering the first dose to the first four priority groups by mid-February.

GPs in St Helens are currently working on vaccinating priority group four, which is people aged 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals.