GP hub continues with vaccinations at Saga – and another drop-in clinic is announced

Patients from any Thanet GP practice who are aged 50 and above or are between the ages of 18 to 64 and clinically vulnerable (see list below) are invited to a drop in vaccination clinic on April 13.

GP hub vaccination services are being held at the Saga building in Ramsgate and although most clinics are second jabs by invitation, the session on April 13 is open for first jab drop ins from 8am to 6pm.

Dr Ash Peshen, who is one of the GPs with the Margate/Mocketts Wood hub, says he wants people to be assured there is plenty of vaccine available for second doses and GPs are making sure all those in cohorts 1-9 (50 and over or clinically vulnerable) who have not yet had the first dose are contacted to come in for their jab.

A clinic was held at the Saga site today with more scheduled for both Pfizer and AstraZeneca second jabs as well as the first jab drop in on April 13.

Dr Peshen said: “We have sufficient vaccine for second doses and there will be regular clinics for those.

“On April 13 we will be using AstraZeneca and we aim to vaccinate 3,000 people. This clinic is open to all Thanet patients in the 1-9 cohorts who are yet to have their first jab.

“For second jabs we will contact patients. These will currently be those who had their first jab in late January and early February.”

Jabs are being given at a rate of around 250 per hour for AstraZeneca and for Pfizer there will be an increase to around 158 per hour.

Dr Peshen added: “It has been going very well with no problems. The practices are all supporting each other and we have had lots of volunteers come forward to help from groups such as Thanet Lions and also from schools.”

A second dose Pfizer clinic on April 7 will be invite only and aimed at patients from The Limes, Northdown ,Bethesda and Mocketts Wood.

Despite constrained AstraZeneca supplies this month halting first jabs from the Kent Community Health Trust at the site, the building remains open for the GP hub vaccination clinics.

Health Trust services will be concentrating on second doses and outreach services until supplies increase.Supplies for second doses are not affected.

So far 986,486 vaccine jabs have been given across Kent and Medway. Of these,  870,141 are first doses. This means 85% of the nine priority groups are now protected with a first dose.

Group 1-9 eligible patients must be:

Aged 50 and above

Between the age of 18 to 64 and  clinically vulnerable

The JCVI defines patients who are clinically vulnerable as those with:

chronic respiratory disease, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis and severe asthma

chronic heart disease (and vascular disease)

chronic kidney disease

chronic liver disease

chronic neurological disease including epilepsy

Down’s syndrome

severe and profound learning disability

diabetes

solid organ, bone marrow and stem cell transplant recipients

people with specific cancers

immunosuppression due to disease or treatment

asplenia and splenic dysfunction

morbid obesity

severe mental illness

younger adults in long-stay nursing and residential care settings.

adult carers (those in receipt of a carer’s allowance or who are the sole or primary carer of a person who is at high risk from COVID) will also fall into this cohort.