ELDERLY and vulnerable people in Oswestry were forced to wait over an hour in the sun for their Covid-19 booster jabs yesterday (Wednesday, May 3).

More than 50 people were queued up at one point for the weekly pop-up walk-in clinic which is held at Oswestry Fire Station.

The base on Mount Road is used every Wednesday between 11am and 4pm for people to receive their booster vaccinations from a team of NHS staff.

But yesterday, the queues reached an all-time high.

Joseph Coles, 71, from Whittington, was one of those patiently waiting his turn.

He told the Oswestry Advertizer that he had had his appointments cancelled twice for the booster jab, and decided to come to the fire station to get it done.

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He said: “I have now been waiting in the queue for an hour – some people have left because they just couldn't stand here any longer.

“I am not 75 yet, but I have medical conditions, and most people in this queue are elderly and I don’t think it’s practical.

“I made appointments to go to a pharmacy about a week or so ago and that one got cancelled, and then I made another one and got turned away due to lack of vaccines in stock.”

Mr Coles also explained that there were no seats for the people queueing aside from a few right at the entrance and inside.

Steve Ellis, Service Director of Shropshire Community Health Trust said: “We have seen a significant increase in demand today (Wednesday, May 3) and further vaccines have been sent out from our Shrewsbury base to the site to ensure those people waiting can receive their vaccination.

“We are sorry for the extended wait that some people have had today and are working hard to minimise that wait.”

Mr Ellis also added that the NHS staff on-site had apologised for the wait and had gone to all the people in the queue offering appointments for pre-bookable sessions at pharmacies in Oswestry, Ellesmere, and Whitchurch.

Watch commander James Lewis from Oswestry Fire station took to social media to reassure people that although his team was not directly involved in the clinic, they were on hand to support those who needed it.

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He said: “The queues are being managed by the NHS staff, and there is a member of staff who is out on the pavement making sure that nobody faints and that there is no one experiencing adverse effects of the jab.

"All the people queueing have got a choice to join it, and if they do not want to queue they have the option to book an appointment at Shrewsbury hospital.

“It might not be ideal but we are just trying to help the community with this walk-in pop-up centre.”

Earlier this week, the Oswestry Advertizer reported how one couple were struggling to get their booster jab locally as their appointment was cancelled.