Vaccination centres begin operating in Suffolk
The local roll-out is part of the wider national vaccination programme in over 100 GP practices
Covid-19 vaccinations are being made available at five centres run by family doctors and their teams in east and west Suffolk and north east Essex this week.
The majority of clinics across the country will be starting today, 15th December.
Vaccinations will be available for people aged 80 and over, as well as care home workers and residents, who have been identified as priority groups for the jabs.
They will also begin taking place in local care homes later this week.
People are being urged not to contact their local centres or GPs for a vaccine, as the NHS will get in touch with people in priority groups once it is their turn.
Dr Ed Garratt, chief executive of NHS Ipswich and East Suffolk, NHS West Suffolk and NHS North East Essex clinical commissioning groups, said: "This is an important moment in the fight against Covid-19 and I hope a turning point in getting our lives back to normal.
"We must be realistic though and accept that there are some huge logistical challenges in delivering this vaccination programme, which is the biggest in the history of the NHS.
"However, across Suffolk and north east Essex we have an incredible team of NHS staff who will be doing their very best to vaccinate people safely, and I want to thank them for what they are doing.
"Patients will be contacted and invited for vaccination - we would urge them not to contact their practice enquiring about vaccination, we will contact them."