Three South Wiltshire vaccine centres to close for second phase of rollout
The amount of jabs administered in our area has been labelled a "success"
Three of the GP-led vaccine centres in and around Salisbury are set to be closing for the second phase of the programme.
People between 18 and 39 will be jabbed as part of the second phase, which is going to be pharmacy led instead.
That means Leaden Hall in the Cathedral Close, Michael Herbert Hall in Wilton and Salisbury Plain Health Centre in Larkhill are preparing to close.
There's no confirmation yet on which pharmacy sites in our area will be taking part, while the GP-led centres will close at different times.
The Clinical Chair of the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire CCG says it's the right time for a change after the success of the first roll out.
Dr Andrew Girdher said:
"Locally, we have had great success in vaccinating those in our community who are most vulnerable to Covid-19, and we are now seeing the benefit of this with fewer cases being recorded, fewer deaths and fewer hospital admissions.
"As we begin the process of vaccinating younger people, it feels like now is the right time to review our current list of sites, and doing so in this way ensures vaccine provision is protected for those yet to be vaccinated, while also allowing some practices to revert their focus back fully to providing much-needed everyday care.
"As this is still an incredibly busy time within healthcare, people can support their local practice by thinking about whether their concern requires the attention of a GP, or whether self-care, a visit to a local pharmacist, or a combination of the two would be more appropriate."
People aged 30 and above are now eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine, and can arrange an appointment through the national booking system, which is available over the phone or online.
The new pharmacy sites will be added as soon as their start date is confirmed.
More information about the local vaccination rollout can be found on the CCG's website.