Thousands of people got jabs in Bolton over the weekend as the town battles the Indian variant.
image copyrightReuters
More than 6,200 people were vaccinated in Bolton at the weekend amid concerns over the Indian Covid-19 variant.
The town has seen a sharp spike in infections since mid-April and the B.1.617.2 variant now makes up the majority of new cases.
Prior to the push, about 10,000 people in the highest priority groups were yet to be vaccinated.
Dr Helen Wall, who is leading the town’s vaccine rollout, said it had been “emotional” to see.
She said many who had been eligible for some time came for a jab over the last two days and she now hoped the programme had “made a big dent” in the list of outstanding eligible residents.
The efforts to get everyone eligible vaccinated saw long queues form at vaccination hubs.
BBC presenter and comedian Paddy McGuinness shared a video of the queues in his “strong” hometown on social media.
Despite the concerns over the B.1.617.2 variant – which was first found in India – the easing of lockdown rules has gone ahead as planned in England.
The easing allows people to socialise indoors in limited numbers, hug loved ones and visit pubs and restaurants inside.
However, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Sunday that a local lockdown in Bolton had not been ruled out due to a rise in cases.
He added that the “vast majority” of locals who had been hospitalised in recent days had not taken up the offer of a vaccine.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Dr Wall said the vaccination hubs were “seeing people coming forward that clearly had the option to have the jab for some time – older people, disabled people – and they’ve chosen to come forward now”.
“I think in part that’s because we brought this into the community as a trusted place, but also the things that are going on in Bolton are quite worrying for people,” she said.
“I think that’s given some push to people coming forward now for the vaccine.”
Speaking earlier, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng urged those eligible for a vaccine in Bolton to take up the offer to guard against the Indian variant.
“We’re not exactly where we want to be among certain communities, but I think the take-up has been much greater in the last few months,” he said.
He added that “more and more people are convinced that this is the way to keep themselves and their families safe”.
Surge testing has already begun in other areas of north-west England where cases involving the Indian variant are on the rise.
The “variant of concern” has also been detected in Blackburn, Lancashire, which neighbours Bolton, and in Sefton on Merseyside.
Blackburn with Darwen Council has been given the “green light to rapidly increase vaccinations”, the area’s public health director said.
Dominic Harrison said an additional supply of more than 1,000 Pfizer vaccinations would be provided per day for the next two weeks.
Do you live in Bolton? What are your concerns about the Indian Covid-19 variant? Email: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
If you are reading this page and can’t see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.