More Covid-19 vaccine appointment slots made available as Bedford residents urged to get first jab

Eligible Bedford residents are being urged to get their first Covid vaccine as soon as possible.

NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Bedford Borough Council have made the plea after it was revealed Bedford currently has the third highest Covid rate in the country (167 cases per 100,000).

With the Indian variant taking hold of the town, more appointment slots are being made available.

People aged 32 are now eligible for a jab and can book their first appointment through the national booking service.

People aged over 40 can also drop into Bedford Heights without an appointment anytime between 8.30am and 3pm each day

If you prefer, you can be vaccinated at King’s House or the Guru Nanak Gurdwara Temple. These vaccinations will need to be booked online or call 01234 718077.

To be eligible you must be aged 32 or over, or clinically vulnerable - or provide care for someone.

The CCG said it is also really important people get their second vaccination when it is time. Information on second dose appointments is available hereDr Sarah Whiteman, chair of NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes CCG said: “Getting vaccinated is the most important step we can take to protect ourselves, our families and our communities against Covid-19, including the new variants.

“We’ve seen great success with our recent drop-in programme, but we are keen to ensure everyone gets the vaccine when they are eligible so we are opening up more slots to facilitate this.

"So far, we have given over 145,000 first and second vaccinations in Bedford and we keen to see this number increase further still.”