LUDLOW'S Shropshire councillors are pleased that Covid vaccinations have started for care home residents and staff but want to know when wider community immunisation will start.

Within hours of posting a blog chastising local health chiefs for the delay in starting Covid-19 vaccinations in Ludlow he added another one announcing that people in a Ludlow care home would be getting the jab.

In his earlier posting Mr Boddington said that he had heard that it could be the second half of January before the vaccination programme would begin in the area.

But he still wants to know when the general population can hope to start being inoculated.

“Expectation has reached a high point with the approval of the easier to administer Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine,” wrote Mr Boddington.

“We have two vaccines, millions of doses, but here in south west Shropshire we still don’t know when vaccination will begin in earnest.

“Local GPs are frustrated. They are ready to go.

“Their switchboards are busy with callers asking when their vaccination will be available. They don’t have an answer because health service managers don’t seem to be up to speed on vaccination rollout.

“The virus didn’t take a holiday at Christmas. It will spread faster threatening the lives and health of people in our area of Shropshire. We need action. All we have got from the Clinical Commissioning Group is inaction.”

Tracey Huffer, Shropshire Councillor for Ludlow East is a practising health worker at a surgery in Ludlow.

“Care homes have staff ready and waiting to assist in vaccination programme,” she said.

“We have GPs trained to administer the vaccine.

“Administrative staff and nurses are ready to assist. Extra staff can be brought in if needed.”

An appeal has been launched for volunteers to help with the roll out of the vaccination programme in Shropshire.