More community vaccination centres confirmed for Gloucestershire
There's now a total of 10 sites across the county providing the jab
Five further community vaccination centres have opened in Gloucestershire.
GP practices, along with the help of volunteers, have already begin vaccinating priority groups, including those aged 80 and over, across the weekend.
The new sites are:
- Churchdown Community Centre
- Rowcroft Medical Centre, Stroud
- Old Cinderford Health Centre, Forest of Dean
- Cirencester Hospital
- Beeches Green Health Centre, Stroud.
Priority groups are being asked to wait for their GP surgery to contact them with information on clinics and how to book an appointment.
Dr Andy Seymour, Clinical Chair at NHS Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, said:
“It’s been an incredible effort to have reached this point with such a short lead in time. GP practices and local partners have pulled out all the stops and deserve massive credit for getting these sites ready for go live.”
Over the weekend, people in Churchdown, North Gloucester and Rowcroft Medical Centre began receiving their first injection of the life-saving jab.
They will have to return in 3 weeks time to receiver their second dose of the vaccine.
Professor Steve Hams, Director of Quality and Chief Nurse at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, who is leading the overall vaccination programme delivery in Gloucestershire said:
“This has been a truly remarkable ‘One Gloucestershire’ effort and we are thrilled that the community vaccination programme is now being extended to other sites. Everyone concerned should be rightly proud of what they have achieved and continue to achieve.
Not only will the vaccine save lives and reduce the pressure on NHS services, it also marks the start of our journey back to living our lives as we would wish.”
Sarah Scott, Gloucestershire’s Director of Public Health said:
“The roll out of the vaccine to the wider community is a significant step forwards but does not mean we can let our guards down.
"We must continue to follow the rules and not allow case numbers to climb. Colleagues across health and social care have been, and continue to be, central to beating COVID-19 and I want to thank them all for their monumental efforts this year.”
If people are housebound and unable to travel to a centre for medical reasons, they will be contacted by a local healthcare worker.