THE county's Covid vaccine programme has been praised as thousands more people were given their jabs at the weekend.

Busy NHS staff continued to give out thousands of coronavirus jabs to priority groups last week including Worcester's mayor who encouraged more people to accept invitations to be vaccinated.

Worcester's 72-year-old mayor Councillor Jo Hodges received her vaccine at the city's St John's Medical Centre on Saturday (January 23) and praised staff for their efforts.

“I was very relieved to be given my Covid vaccination and it did not hurt at all," she said.

"The staff and volunteers at the centre were so kind and thoughtful. A young man named Matt told me all about the numbers of vaccinations they had given, and the enormous efforts the team makes to ensure there is zero wastage of the vaccine.

"I know that I must still observe all the rules of lockdown and wear a mask, wash my hands and keep a distance from others. I would urge everyone who is invited to be vaccinated to do so, because it is the only way out of this pandemic and to keep yourself and others safe."

The most recent NHS data available says 76.2 per cent of people aged over 80 in Worcestershire and Herefordshire have received their first vaccine.

A total of 37,609 over-80s were vaccinated between December 8 and January 17 – more than three quarters of the 49,360 people aged over 80 in both counties.

The two county’s figures for the percentage of over-80s vaccinated was the third best in the country behind Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire.

76-year-old Ros Wallis from Droitwich also praised the organisation at Spa Medical Practice when she went for her first Covid jab.

“It went very well,” she said. “It was very well organised and we didn’t have to wait at all. We just went in.

“I felt very fortunate that we were able to have it so early.

“They looked after us very well. We had to sit for 15 minutes after the injection just to make sure everything was alright but staff came round to check we were fine and then we just came home. I’ve had no after effects.

“It was busy but here was social distancing and it was all very professionally done. I can’t fault it at all.”

Former county council chairman Peter Tomlinson who received his first jab at Ombersley Medical Centre praised the “brilliant” staff for their hard work.

The 77-year-old said he was proud at the number of jabs that had been handed out in recent weeks.

“I didn’t feel a thing and I’ve had no side effects,” he said. “I feel that much more confident although I am still obeying all the lockdown procedures.

“I did my bit last week helping people on and off the car park and they are vaccinating people at a rate of around 600 a day on Tuesdays and Thursday and 1,200 every Saturday and every Sunday.

“They are brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. As the immediate past chairman [of the county council] I am really proud of what they are doing."