Coronavirus vaccinations begin at King's Lynn hospital

The fight against coronavirus continues as the vaccine has arrived at Lynn's hospital today to help contain the disease.

Patients aged 80 and above, care home workers and vulnerable staff will receive the first vaccinations at the site.

The vaccinations will take place in the Inspire Centre at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, with a range of Covid-19 safety measures in place, including cleaning, disinfecting and social distancing in waiting areas.

All NHS employers have been asked to identify staff who would benefit most – either due to medical conditions or the environment in which they work – so that these staff can be prioritised for vaccinating at this time.

The remainder of staff at the hospital will be invited for their vaccine in due course.

It comes on the same day the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved for use in the UK, with the first doses due to be given on Monday.

West Norfolk county councillor Alex Kemp described the vaccine arrival at the QEH as "brilliant news" but stated there now needs to be a comprehensive plan to protect care homes in West Norfolk.

She said: "All local care homes must now be contacted about how their staff and care home residents, who cannot get to the hospital, are going to access the vaccine as soon as possible.

"There are local care home managers who have not yet been contacted.

"The over-80s are the most vulnerable, so care home residents and their care staff should be at the front of the queue."

Norfolk Trading Standards continues to warn the public about vaccination scams in which callers ask for financial details even though the vaccine is free.

These calls advise that the vaccination will take place at home with elderly residents being targeted within the county.

Other reports to Norfolk Trading Standards relate to approaches made by text and from a recorded voice message on the telephone.

In each case the recipient is asked to respond by clicking a link in the text message or by pressing one when receiving the call.

They are then asked to give personal information, as well as financial details to book their vaccination.

Data for the seven days up to last Wednesday, December 23, showed there were 448 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the borough, up by 152 or 51 per cent on the previous week.