Covid: Lincolnshire care home vaccine rollout nears completion

Martin Fahy, director of nursing in Lincolnshire, said they were hopeful of completing the rollout in care homes by Sunday

Health bosses say they expect all care homes in Lincolnshire to have been offered first doses of the Covid vaccine by Sunday.

Director of nursing Martin Fahy said the county was "ahead of the game" and had been going "great guns" since the rollout started.

He said vaccinating those in care homes was a top priority.

"We're on track to complete all our care homes by this weekend, so we're really excited about that," he said.

Figures released on Thursday showed there were 49,633 jabs given in the county between 8 December and 17 January, with about half being given to the over-80s.

Mr Fahy, director of nursing and quality at NHS Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: "Lincolnshire is very much ahead of the game and we're making really good progress in that respect".

Prof Derek Ward, the county's director of public health, said there were currently 15 care homes in the county with an outbreak of more than one case.

They include about 70 residents and a similar number of staff, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

However, he said Lincolnshire's infection rate was currently about half the national average of 484 per 100,000 people, with even fewer cases amongst the over-60s.

"There is no question in my mind that by Easter we will be in a much better position if everyone continues to follow the rules," he added.

Care home residents and staff were placed top of the priority list to be vaccinated - as recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

More than 21,000 people in care homes have died from Covid-19 in England and Wales since the pandemic began, according to the Office for National Statistics.

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