Kirklees Council leader hits out over reduction of Covid-19 vaccinations for the district

Along with other West Yorkshire leaders, Councillr Shabir Pandor has written to Covid vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi urging the Government to reconsider diverting vaccine supplies away from areas that have been successful in their rollout.

Five council leaders said changing the vaccine plans now would “directly impact on the credibility of the local vaccination programme” and risk widening health inequalities.

The Government was criticised by MPs for “punishing” areas which had vaccinated a higher proportion of people aged 80 and over, after reports the North East and Yorkshire would see supplies cut by half.

Coun Pandor, Leader of Kirklees Council, said: “It’s absolutely crucial that the most vulnerable and at-risk people in Kirklees receive their vaccine as soon as possible.

"So, I’m absolutely stunned to hear that West Yorkshire’s allocation is to be halved, and that some of these vaccines have been allocated to other areas outside West Yorkshire.

“If London’s numbers need boosting, it should not come at Kirklees’ detriment. Our communities have already been adversely impacted by this pandemic and this decision further highlights this Government’s disconnect with the North.

“Our health and social care system is working extremely hard and has developed a very efficient and effective way of delivering the vaccines. This is a positive and we need to build on that rather than curtail its progress - that could slow down the rate and speed of how fast we are vaccinating the priority groups.

“Our doctors, nurses and pharmacists, as well as the dedicated volunteers, are doing an outstanding job in Kirklees and they deserve more than this.

“I’m urging the Government to reconsider this and think carefully about the impacts it might have on our plan to vaccinate the first four priority groups by 15 February.

"As Leader I will do everything I can to support the Government to deliver this target and I ask them to continue they supply us with all the vaccines in the timescales they have set.”