System leaders are asking local people to be patient while they get everything in place as the NHS continues to deliver the largest vaccination programme in our history.

The COVID-19 vaccination roll-out is being coordinated and delivered by the NHS in Dorset working closely with partners including councils and the voluntary and community sector.

Dr Andy Rutland, Dorset GP and clinical lead for the Dorset COVID-19 vaccination programme, said:

“This is a monumental effort as we step up even further to expand the vaccination programme for everyone who’s eligible.

“We know that some people have had issues booking their booster at a local venue and we’re working hard to keep increasing availability. Please be patient and do keep checking the national booking system as slots are being added all the time.

“We’re all in this together and we owe a huge thank you to everyone supporting the roll-out – staff, volunteers and the public. It’s been a tough year for all of us so please continue to be kind, patient and understanding to our vaccine teams who are working tirelessly to make this happen.”

Dr Rutland also made a renewed appeal for potential vaccinators to come forward to join our vaccine teams as the programme continues to expand at speed. https://joinourdorset.nhs.uk/vaccinators/

Sam Crowe, Director of Public Health for Dorset Council and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, said:

“With the emergence of the Omicron variant alongside existing high infection rates locally, it’s more important than ever that we all continue to play our part in protecting ourselves and each other from the risks of COVID-19. We are working closely with the NHS to support the expansion of the booster programme, and getting your booster is the best way to protect yourself from serious illness caused by any variant of COVID-19, so I urge everyone to get yours as soon as you can.

“Nationally, we can see that Omicron is spreading quickly, and whilst there are still a lot of unknowns about this variant, the principles to help us reduce transmission remain the same. Vaccination alone will not stop the virus from spreading, so to be able to live safely with COVID-19, we do need to keep taking precautionary measures. This includes taking regular rapid tests to check you’re not infectious, particularly before meeting others or attending gatherings, making sure you have plenty of ventilation, and wearing a face covering in indoor and crowded spaces. If we all follow these measures now and get boosted as soon as possible, we can hopefully prevent the need for further restrictions and keep doing the things we all enjoy.”