Booster jabs for housebound people in Somerset faced delays

The NHS in Somerset says all housebound people will be offered a booster before Christmas

Housebound people in Somerset have faced a wait for their Covid booster vaccinations, an NHS boss has said.

A local MP said he was contacted by "an increasing number of constituents" who were waiting for jabs at home.

Somerset NHS Covid Vaccination Programme said the delay was due to staffing and those eligible should now be offered a booster before Christmas.

Somerton and Frome Conservative MP David Warburton raised the issue during Prime Minister's Questions.

Dr Alex Murray, Joint Senior Responsible Officer for the Somerset NHS Covid Vaccination Programme, said: "We are aware there's been a bit of a wait, that comes down to staffing."

Jabs by Christmas

Dr Murray said the programme was working through the housebound programme "at the moment" by geography and people should get a notification within the next two weeks.

As the booster programme uses Pfizer and Moderna vaccinations, vaccinators need to allow a 15 minute wait with each patient after the jab.

This means they can get round "far fewer" people in a day, Dr Murray said, compared to the initial Astra Zenecca vaccinations given, but she said all eligible housebound people will have been offered a booster "by Christmas".

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said during PMQs that the government is "in the process of reviewing the 15-minute waiting requirement for both Pfizer and Moderna Covid boosters".

David Warburton MP said: "I've been contacted by an increasing number of constituents, unable to get a booster due to the lack of local vaccination centres and lack of boosters being administered to the house-bound or those needing special care.

"I intend to meet with the Secretary of State for Health to get to the bottom of this and seek a quick remedy to ensure my constituents can get their boosters and stay protected this winter."