Three players and three non-playing staff received Pfizer jabs earlier this year at the Stubley Medical Centre in Dronfield; an investigation has concluded the jabs were administered in exceptional circumstances, to avoid wastage
Tuesday 16 March 2021 11:52, UK
The surgery which administered Covid-19 vaccinations to six members of staff at National League club Chesterfield acted within NHS guidelines to ensure the jabs were not wasted, an investigation has concluded.
Three players and three non-playing staff were understood to have been given the Pfizer jabs earlier this year at the Stubley Medical Centre in Dronfield.
The matter was investigated by NHS Derby and Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which said at the time of opening the probe that it was "unacceptable to jump the queue".
But it has now concluded the jabs were administered to the Chesterfield contingent in exceptional circumstances, to avoid wastage.
A statement from the CCG said: "The NHS has a duty to follow up reports of vaccinations being administered to people outside of the cohorts as specified by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
"As such, NHS Derby & Derbyshire CCG conducted a review of reported vaccinations outside of cohorts in one of our Local Vaccination Services (LVSs) on behalf of NHS England and Improvement.
"The review found that a small number of patients who were not at that point in an eligible cohort had been vaccinated; the principal aim of the LVS in taking this action was the avoidance of vaccine waste.
"This was done in line with NHS guidance that permits vaccinations for patients outside of the announced cohort in exceptional circumstances.
"The matter is now closed and we continue to be very grateful to staff at the Local Vaccination Service for their significant efforts and success in delivering the vaccination programme to date."
The club said at the time the news emerged that some of the six were classed as vulnerable and they were told by the surgery all other options had been exhausted and the vaccine would have been wasted if they had not had the jabs.
It is understood the call to the club came about after earlier discussions in which they offered their facilities as a vaccination centre.
The club are understood to have been told their staff could be put on a 'standby list' for a call if the surgery was unable to find anyone else willing to take up the appointments at short notice.
Chesterfield said on Tuesday they would not comment further on the matter.
