HEALTH bosses have praised the ‘fantastic’ vaccine pop-up clinic at the Metrodome - now closed - but across the festive period it failed to make a significant dent in a list of more than 40,000 people who are yet to come forward.
A week ahead of the centre’s closure on Wednesday, an appeal went out for 44,000 people who are eligible for their booster jab to come forward before the year’s end.
But the most recent figures show from Christmas Eve to Tuesday, only 2,843 people have had their third vaccine.
On Boxing Day - when the Metrodome was temporarily closed - just six people across Barnsley’s vaccination centres in Lundwood, Dodworth and Goldthorpe received their booster.
The clinic at the Queens Road venue was opened amid a push for all eligible people aged 18 and over to be offered their booster before the end of the year.
And it has been deemed a success, with Barnsley’s vaccination capacity upped to more than 3,500 a day as a result of its opening on December 15.
But despite a surge in bookings leading to 4,269 boosters being handed out the day after its opening, numbers dwindled thereafter - only surpassing 3,000-a-day four times since then.
Since December 15, figures from Barnsley’s Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) show total numbers of residents receiving their booster vaccine have gone from 91,877 to 118,430.
The invite for eligible people to do so has reached 100 per cent of people, while 73 per cent of eligible people across all age groups have had their third jab.
Jamie Wike, chief operating officer for the CCG, said: “It’s fantastic that more than 26,500 people have had their boosters in Barnsley since the option of the Metrodome was opened a couple of weeks ago.
“This extra pop-up clinic, along with the other sites across the borough, means that everyone who is eligible has had the opportunity to get their booster.
“The Metrodome was a great community facility alongside the other sites which have also been really popular.”
Government figures show 186,165 people - 84 per cent of the total population - have had their first dose and 172,126 - 77.7 per cent - their second.
The booster vaccine is available three months after your second dose.
You cannot get your booster if you have had a positive test in the past 28 days.
“We’ve seen numbers rise across all sites,” added Jamie.
“I think people have just been keen to get their booster wherever they can.
“We know that more than seven out of ten of those eligible have now had their booster.
“That number rises to nearly nine out of ten in those over 50.
“That is really positive and we are asking people to keep that going into the new year.
“There are lots of appointments available in January at the usual sites at Priory Campus, Goldthorpe and Dodworth.
“These are on the NHS booking website or by calling 119, which will keep it easy and simple to book a vaccine.”
