THE BOROUGH council’s executive member for health is calling on MPs to help open more vaccination centres in the area.
Cllr Charles Margetts has written to the borough’s MPs, urging them to put pressure on Berkshire West CCG to open more vaccination centres nearby.
“When we had our vaccination drive at Bulmershe Leisure Centre, we were able to do 500 jabs a day,” he said.
“We have the resources, and the volunteers — we can do more.”
It comes as a vaccine bus will be in the borough for five days, starting Saturday, in a drive to increase vaccination uptake.
It will be at Asda and Norreys Church, Cllr Margetts said, because vaccination uptake is not as high
in Lower Earley, and Wokingham town centre.
It is capable of giving 120 doses each day, but Cllr Margetts would like to see thousands given the opportunity for their second jab, as opposed to hundreds.
“I’m not content with how it is,” he said. “We could have been further ahead in our vaccine programme.”
Cllr Margetts said he is desperate to launch another walk-in service,as the country prepares to drop all covid restrictions on Monday.
With case rates where they were in February, he believes more jabs will help protect borough residents.
It comes as council leader, Cllr John Halsall, urged residents to keep wearing a mask.
He wants residents to continue to maintain some measures to keep the virus at bay, and protect the community.
“Please observe the social distancing rules and give people space,” he told Wokingham.Today.
You might not be worried about (covid), but someone next you might be. Consider wearing a face mask – it might protect others from you.”
He is also aware some residents are yet to have one or two jabs, as younger adults are not eligible for their second.
