A FORMER policeman has questioned why care home residents like his elderly and vulnerable mother-in-law are still waiting to be vaccinated.

Doreen Owers, 92, lives in a nursing home in Kirby Cross, and suffers with several age-related health complications.

Despite this, she and her fellow residents, in addition to staff members, have yet to receive their coronavirus jabs.

Doreen’s son-in-law, David Edwin, who served as a police officer across Essex for 46 years, worries the East of England’s elderly people have been forgotten.

David said: “I don’t know if I am the only person concerned regarding the poor Covid-19 vaccination record in this area. “As of yet my mother-in-law’s care home has not received a proposed date of any vaccinations for residents.

“It is not acceptable for this area to be so far behind the rest of the country.

“My concern, and that of many people living in Tendring, is the vulnerable residents in care.”

David’s worries come days after figures revealed the region had administered the least number of vaccines in the country.

The latest data, which was published on January 14 and includes first and second doses, shows 236,023 jabs were administered in the East of England between December 8 and January 10.

Of that total, 146,528 went into the arms of residents over the age of 80, but the North East and Yorkshire region, for example, saw 254,265 vaccines given to the over 80s.

On Monday Health Secretary Matt Hancock reassured the public more than half of those over 80, as well as half of elderly care home residents, had now been vaccinated.

It was also announced jabs will be offered to millions of over 70s and everyone within the top four priority groups.

This means people who work in health and social care, care home residents, and those who are clinically extremely vulnerable could be contacted for an appointment.

But David still thinks the vaccine roll-out needs to be sped up.

“The cases in care and nursing homes should have been avoided by a timely role out of the vaccines in this area,” he added.

“We are told to be patient but delays may lead to preventable deaths in the elderly.”

The CCG was contacted for comment but did not respond before going to press.