Responding to today’s provisional figures on how more than 137,000 people in the UK have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in the first week of distribution, Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:
“These figures represent an encouraging and steady start to what will be the largest vaccination programme ever undertaken in this country.
“Councils are ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with the NHS and are working closely with their health service colleagues on this unprecedented rollout, to ensure everybody is able to receive this life-saving vaccine as soon as possible, in line with the priority list.
“Local knowledge and expertise will be crucial in encouraging everyone from all parts of the community to get vaccinated. Councils’ unique relationship with the people they represent mean they are well placed to reach out to those in the priority groups and beyond.
“We will eventually need to see the weekly vaccine rollout figures broken down by region and local authority, to ensure the fairest possible distribution and help to target support at communities and in neighbourhoods where take up is slower, in partnership with the NHS and others.”
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