A RACE to get booster covid jabs into Teessiders has prompted more pleas for people not to ring GPs and clog up phone lines. 

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said over 18s would start to be offered booster doses from this week amid worries of a “tidal wave” of the Omicron variant.

But the announcement brought high demand on vaccine services on Monday morning – sparking Teesside health chiefs to warn against picking up the phone and ringing the doctor for a jab. 

Read more: People urged to be patient and book Covid booster jab appointments as queues form outside centres 

Yarm Medical Practice urged patients against phoning them on Monday. 

In a message on social media, the Worsall Road practice added: “Please do not ring the practice as we were not informed in advance, nor do we have the facilities to book.  

“Please use the 119 booking option or the government website.”

Teessiders have been asked not to use phone lines to contact GPs about jabs since the vaccination programme got underway – as lines need to be kept free for “urgent healthcare needs”.

The national online booking service went down on Monday morning in the wake of high demand. 

On Monday, Health Secretary Sajid Javed said primary care services and GPs would be focussing only on the booster programme and “urgent” need.

He added it would mean “non-urgent appointments” faced being delayed to the new year.

Staff are “really busy”

Dr Janet Walker, medical director at the Tees Valley CCG, echoed pleas in the wake of the booster announcements.

She said: “Our GP practices are open, and it is really important that people continue to put their health first and seek urgent medical help when they need it.

“But we are asking them not to call their GP practice for a vaccination.

“Staff working in general practice are really busy and are doing their absolute best to help in what are still very challenging times – but they are unable to book vaccination appointments for people or currently respond to queries for NHS covid pass letters.”

NHS officials say people should get their booster no earlier than three months following their second jab – with the NHS also advising people they must wait at least four weeks after having a positive covid test before booking a booster.

Teesside health chiefs say booster vaccination appointments can be made two months after a second dose – with the appointment dates offered being from three months after the second jab.

Boosters will be offered to eligible over 18s from Wednesday alongside health and social care workers, people with underlying health conditions, and all adult household contacts of people at risk from becoming severely ill from covid-19.

NHS figures published on December 12 showed 3,091,693 boosters or third jabs had been given so far in the North-east and Yorkshire. 

Weekly data at a lower level released on December 9 also showed how booster and third dose uptake was getting on across Teesside – with a total of 207,838 up to December 5 across the Tees Valley. 

Booster and third jab uptake + total population % incl. under 18s (source: NHS/ONS)

Stockton North – 28,566 – 30.8%

Stockton South – 32,144 – 30.7%

Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland – 35,839 – 38.0%

Middlesbrough – 26,181 – 27.1%

Redcar – 28,021 – 32.0%

Hartlepool – 26,058 – 27.8%

Darlington – 31,029 – 34.0%

Around a third of Teessiders have received a third jab or a booster so far. 

And the figures above include under 18s who are, by and large, not part of the booster programme as yet. 

Dr Walker said they faced some very challenging months ahead and needed to protect the most vulnerable.

And she added it was “never too late” to have a first or second jab if people hadn’t done so yet. 

Dr Walker said: “The vaccination programme to date has been a real collaboration between our health and care systems across the whole of Tees Valley.

“We are confident that together we will be able to cope with the new pressures now being faced by the booster rollout.”

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