Over 200,000 people in the Midlands battled Storm Arwen and snow over the weekend to receive their lifesaving COVID-19 vaccination, as the NHS programme continues its drive to protect the most vulnerable ahead of Christmas.

Sites included a vaccination bus at Nottingham’s Christmas Market, Highcross Shopping Centre, Leicester, the Mander Centre in Wolverhampton and Solihull Town Centre.

After cases of the new COVID variant, Omicron, have now been identified in the region in Nottingham, people of all ages are being urged to get their COVID-19 jabs.

Cases of COVID-19 in the over 60s remain high in both the East and West Midlands (rates of 211 and 180/100,000 population respectively).

Alison Tonge, the NHS England and NHS Improvement director responsible for overseeing the vaccination programme across the Midlands, said:

“We are delighted that over 200,000 people braved the bad weather to get jabbed over the weekend. NHS staff made huge efforts to ensure that there was a significant increase in the number of appointments available.

“Almost 18 million people have now been vaccinated in the Midlands, but the emergence of the new variant, Omicron, shows that this pandemic is far from over. So, whether it is for a first or second jab or booster vaccination, I would urge everyone to book their jab as soon as they can so they will have that vital protection and peace of mind in the run up to the festive period.

“It is never too late for people to get their vaccine as it is an evergreen offer. Vaccination provides powerful protection against severe illness with COVID-19, so getting the jab is the most important thing you can do to protect yourself. Boosters are also vital to maintain a high level of protection because the vaccine starts to ‘wear off’ as time goes by.”

People are encouraged to book online at Book or manage a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination – NHS (www.nhs.uk) or by calling 119. Walk-in vaccination sites are also available and people can use the NHS online walk-in finder to find the most convenient site for them without an appointment.

The latest evidence from the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (SAGE) shows that protection against symptomatic disease falls from 65%, up to 3 months after the second dose, to 45% six months after the second dose for the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, and from 90% to 65% for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Protection against hospitalisation falls from 95% to 75% for Oxford/AstraZeneca and 99% to 90% for Pfizer/BioNTech.

There are more clinics delivering vaccines now than at any other point in the programme, including pharmacies, GP practices and other convenient community sites – almost every person registered with an English GP practice lives within 10 miles of a fixed vaccination location.