A mobile vaccination clinic is heading to the beach to make it easy for anyone to walk in and get a jab, as statistics are released showing the number of excess deaths during the pandemic in Swanage.
The Purbeck Primary Care Network, which has organised the Covid vaccination programme for the area, is setting up a mobile unit next to the Swanage Information Centre on Shore Road.
Mobile unit next to Swanage Information Centre
Two dates have been set up so far, offering the Pfizer jab. They are:
- Thursday 5th August 2021 from 10 am to 12.30 pm
- Saturday 21st August 2021 from 10 am to 1 pm
Purbeck Primary Care Network said:
“Please remember it must be eight weeks between doses and you must be over 18! Please share and stay safe everyone.”
Swanage Medical Practice added:
“If you’re not yet vaccinated, do take this convenient opportunity. It couldn’t be easier and is so very important. Thank you.”
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Sajid Javid at the Bournemouth International Centre walk-in vaccination clinic on Wednesday 4th August 2021
ONS data on the impact on Swanage of the pandemic
This additional boost to reach people who haven’t yet got the Covid vaccination, comes as data on the impact on Swanage of the pandemic is released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS).
While the figures for the number of people who have died due to Covid in Swanage have been released previously, this new data shows the excess deaths across the town from March 2020.
Excess death figures calculate if there have been more deaths from any cause, than expected, compared to previous non-pandemic years.
Likely impact of the pandemic over time
The ONS says that excess deaths are the clearest way to compare the likely impact of the pandemic over time. It says that one reason for excess deaths could be that Covid-19 was undiagnosed.
It’s also possible that disruption to the regular running of the NHS during the pandemic has led to delays in treatment and diagnosis of other illnesses like cancer, resulting in death.
Swanage March to July 2020
The figures released for Swanage suggest that in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic, there were probably deaths due to Covid that weren’t diagnosed. This is similar to the rest of the country.
As lockdown was implemented, the number of deaths was actually lower in Swanage than would have been expected for the time of year, as we all stayed at home. These statistics include non-residents, so in previous years there would have been a larger population in the town when including visitors.
So for the first UK wave of the pandemic, from March to July 2020 in Swanage there were three fewer deaths than normal (minus four percent).
Swanage September 2020 to March 2021
However the picture changed for the second UK wave of the pandemic where from September 2020 to March 2021 in Swanage there were 44 more deaths than normal (plus 49 percent). This could be said to be the real cost of the pandemic in Swanage, in terms of lives lost.
Of the 44 deaths, 31 were recorded on the death certificate as being due to Covid-19. This means that there were 13 deaths not recorded as being due to Covid but over and above what would have been normally expected in Swanage for the time of year.
ONS interactive chart
This interactive chart shows the number of excess deaths for neighbourhoods in England and Wales.
Use your postcode to see the number of excess deaths each month where you live
Further information
- Excess deaths in your neighbourhood during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic report is available in full on the ONS website
