Vaccinations and school reopenings

At this evening's meeting of the Local Outbreak Engagement Board I raised the issue of vaccinations in Bedford Borough and school reopenings. You can watch the meeting here.

Like most Bedford Borough residents, I want us to have access to the COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible, however, the timetable and management is not in the hands of Bedford Borough Council. The rollout of the COVID vaccine - where and when - is determined by the NHS and hospitals, the CCG and GPs.

In our CCG area (Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes) the only hospital carrying out vaccination is the Milton Keynes Hospital. GPs in Bedford Borough plan to start vaccinating patients in the New Year and they will be contacting patients inviting them to attend. If they invite you to attend please make every effort to do so. It Is true that GPs elsewhere in the CCG area have started vaccinations already. I have repeatedly pushed for an earlier start date for Bedford Borough residents.

The Government have announced a delay of the return for secondary schools in January, however they still require primary schools in Bedford Borough to open as normal next week.

The Government did not consult with local councils about these decisions and there are huge inconsistencies such as primary schools in Milton Keynes not opening, whereas our primary schools have to.

You can read more from the Government here.

If you have any questions about school openings please contact your child's school direct for further information.