Around 2,000 vulnerable people in Harrow are yet to receive their first Covid-19 vaccination.

Carole Furlong, director of public health at Harrow Council, told a health and wellbeing board today (Tuesday, June 8) it was a “concern” there were still so many people outstanding in the four priority vaccination groups – care home residents and staff, those aged over 70, and people deemed clinically extremely vulnerable.

She explained most of those yet to be jabbed were in predominantly in certain areas of Harrow – near Wealdstone town centre, parts of Roxbourne and Roxeth, and around Burnt Oak – and that it was important to work with Covid-19 community champions to reach those who might have been missed.

Dr Genevieve Small, the Harrow governing body member at the North-west London Clinical Commissioning Group, said these figures are set against a generally positive picture in borough and “in the main, people have felt able to trust” the vaccination process.

“There have been very few things to celebrate during this period and it is lovely to talk about something that really is positive and is making a difference,” she said.

She agreed there were “pockets of hesitancy”, but noted it was “completely understandable” that people would have ongoing questions about the programme.

“We should continue to talk openly with people who have these questions and for them to recognise that this vaccine offer is evergreen – they should never feel like they’ve missed out on an opportunity,” she added.

It comes following the announcement Harrow’s first mass vaccination site – at Byron Hall, in Christchurch Avenue – is fully operational from today, with ambitions to administer 500 doses a day.

Lisa Henschen, of NHS Harrow, explained the GP-led services at this site will cease as a result so they can focus on delivering primary care which, she said, has been under increasing demand.

She also praised the pop-up sites that operated in Roxbourne, where 500 people were vaccinated, and Belmont, which saw 1,874 people seen to, over the weekend.

It is anticipated there will be more pop-ups to support the Byron Hall operation over the course of the vaccination delivery, as well as plans to introduce new pharmacy sites in Kenton, Harrow East, and Harrow town centre to back-up those already running in Rayners Lane.