In a significant milestone for the county, the Lincolnshire covid vaccination programme gave its 500,000th first dose vaccination last week at the PRSA Mass Vaccination Centre, Boston.

Having started in December last year, the covid vaccination programme in Lincolnshire has seen the launch of 13 Local Vaccination Centres run by local groups of GPs, as well as two Mass Vaccination Centres, one at PRSA, Boston, and the other at the Lincolnshire Showground.

The Local Vaccination Centres include the St Mary's Medical Practice in Stamford and the Mere's Leisure Centre in Grantham.

In what is probably the biggest mobilisation of NHS resources in its history, the covid vaccination programme has been crucial to the national efforts to keep infection rates down, as well as helping to significantly reduce the numbers of hospital admissions and deaths as a result of covid.

Rebecca Neno, Deputy Chief Nurse of NHS Lincolnshire Clincal Commissioning Group said: "It has been a truly monumental effort, from the initial conversations where we looked at what was possible, in terms of a vaccination programme for Lincolnshire, to when we began vaccinating people over 80 back in December, to now when we are vaccinating people aged 25 or over, just seven months later."

Over the last seven months more than half a million people in Lincolnshire have received their first covid vaccination, and around 400,000 have received a second dose, meaning that local people have played a significant role by coming forwards and getting vaccinated.

Health bosses say the vaccination programme would not have been possible without their support, as well as that of the hundreds of men and women across the county who run the vaccination sites, many of whom are volunteers.

Rebecca continued: "Reaching 500,000 first doses is an enormously significant milestone for the covid vaccination programme in Lincolnshire, and it has been made possible by our amazing teams across the Lincolnshire vaccination sites, a lot of who have worked non-stop on this since December, and I am hugely grateful to them."

As widely reported by the national media, the Delta strain of the virus has become pre-eminent in a very short period of time, making getting both doses of the covid vaccination even more important.

Rebecca explained: "We are now busying vaccinating people aged 25 or over, as well providing second doses, and I would strongly encourage everyone to come forwards for their vaccination when called, particularly in light of the dominant Delta strain of the virus.

"It is more important than ever that we all have two doses of the vaccination, in order to build up the maximum immunity and longevity of protection. If you didn't come forwards when called previously it's not too late, you can still book in for your vaccination."

For more information visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/