More vaccination hubs are needed across the Shipley constituency to ensure people are not forced to travel to Bradford to get their booster, an MP has said.
Shipley MP Philip Davies said Government needed to act if it wanted to ensure a bigger take up of the booster programme.
Questioning Health Secretary Sajid Javid over what assessment had been made about the number of locations available Mr Davies said: “Many of my constituents want to have the booster vaccine but are unable to access it locally and instead are being told to go to Bradford to get their booster, which many are unable or unwilling to do so.
“If the Government want to have a bigger take up of the vaccine can I encourage him to make sure there are more places available in the Shipley constituency where my constituents can have their booster.”
Government says there are two centres in the constituency at Shipley Health Centre and Windhill Green Emerald Suite with an additional eight walk in centres within ten miles of Shipley.
But Mr Davies believes two is inadequate and wants additional capacity in his constituency.
Mr Javid said: “As always he (Mr Davies) makes a very important point and can I thank his constituents for their excellent response to the national rollout of the vaccination programme and how they have played their part in that. I have heard what he said very clearly and we do want to make access to vaccination as easy and convenient as possible and we will look and I will speak to the NHS and see what more can be done.”
Previously only those over the age of 50 and those who are clinically vulnerable were eligible for the booster vaccine, at six months after their second dose. The booster programme has now been extended to those aged 40 to 49 in an attempt to reduce the number of hospital admissions this winter.
