Health bosses in Norfolk and Waveney are bracing themselves for the Covid-19 booster roll-out's "most challenging" days yet, as thousands more rush to book their jabs.
The region's vaccination centres are being bolstered, as, from today, all over 18s will be able to use the national booking service to arrange a booster appointment for three months after their second dose.
Many vaccination sites across Norfolk and Waveney are operating 12 hours a day, seven days a week, with more existing vaccination sites set to join them. Booster jabs have to be booked and are not available via walk-ins.
Extra volunteers and staff are being brought in to help cope with the influx - and health bosses have repeated their call for people to be kind and respectful, following previous instances of abuse at centres.
Howard Martin, director of population health management and health inequalities at NHS Norfolk and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “This next phase of the vaccination programme is the most challenging and complex to date.
"We are putting extra capacity in place to ensure that everyone aged 18-plus is given the chance to book a booster by the end of December, when they are invited to do so.
"Our vaccination teams, staff and volunteers are going above and beyond to support the vaccination effort.
"This is a huge and complex challenge, but our incredible NHS staff and volunteers – as they have throughout the pandemic – are doing all they can to ensure we get lifesaving boosters into the arms of local people as soon as possible.
“All health and care organisations are redeploying staff and resources to help meet this challenge, with an army of marshals, administrators and vaccinators being recruited for the next and most ambitious phase of this programme.
"Vaccination is clinically-proven to reduce your risk of getting seriously ill from Covid-19 and your risk of catching or spreading coronavirus. So, when it’s your turn to be invited to book your vaccine or booster, please do so.”
While prime minister Boris Johnson previously referred to vaccine centres "popping up like Christmas trees", in Norfolk and Waveney, the focus, for now, is on optimising how many people can be jabbed at its current vaccination sites.
Mr Martin said: "The Norfolk and Waveney system is the second highest performer for booster delivery in the East of England but we know that the next three weeks will be incredibly challenging.
"We ask for the continued patience and kindness of local people to support the NHS through this booster ramp up.”
The CCG has taken the decision not to offer vaccinations on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, partly because demand on those days is expected to be less, but also to ensure hard-working staff and volunteers get a break.
With the opening up of the national booking system at www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination to so many extra people, there are likely to be question marks over whether it will be able to cope - or how long people will be stuck in online queues waiting to book.
Meanwhile, lateral flow tests were unavailable for home delivery from the government website for the second day in a row.
A message on the government website on Tuesday said no home delivery tests were available, although it listed a number of chemists, pharmacists and libraries where they could be picked up.
In other developments:
• Professor Chris Whitty warned ministers to brace for a "significant increase in hospitalisations" from Omicron, as Downing Street insisted no further coronavirus restrictions are being planned.
England's chief medical officer also said it is "too early to say how severe" the strain is after early suggestions from South Africa that it could be relatively mild.
• Nicola Sturgeon urged Scots to "minimise your social mixing" and only socialise with up to two other households either side of Christmas.
• The requirement for people to wait for 15 minutes after getting vaccinated was suspended.
GPs had been hoping the chief medical officers would take that action, saying it would help speed up vaccinations.
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