GPs in Sussex start to offer coronavirus vaccine
"It's the biggest immunisation programme in NHS history"
Coronavirus vaccination services run by family doctors and their teams are opening across Sussex from today (15 December).
Groups of health providers are setting up the local centres in villages, towns and cities across the country.
Nurses, paramedics, pharmacists and other NHS staff will work alongside GPs to vaccinate those aged 80 and over, as well as care home workers and residents.
Residents of care homes in England will also receive their first dose of the PfizerBioNTech vaccine later this week.
The jab was launched here last week.
Now, practice teams are working to redesign their sites and put in place safe processes to meet the logistical challenges of offering the vaccination.
Allison Cannon, chief nurse for Sussex, told GHR West Sussex about why the roll out is important:
"Being able to deliver the vaccine really close to people's communities and close to their homes is important so that we get most people to have the vaccine over time as possible.
"We've got eight GP led sites that will start to deliver the vaccine to their local community and population.
"It's fantastic news that the NHS is able to start delivering a safe and effective vaccine.
"It's the biggest immunisation programme in NHS history.
"We're really delighted to see the progress across Sussex to protect local people."
The NHS is urging people not to contact their practice enquiring about the vaccination, as they will get in touch with people in the priority groups when it is their turn to have the jab.