First mass vaccination hub opens in Herefordshire
The site at Elgar House in Hereford will be able to vaccinate up to 400 people a day.
Wye Valley NHS Trust, who run Hereford County Hospital and community services across Herefordshire, will manage the site at Elgar House which opens today (2nd February).
Erica Hermon, Elgar House Vaccination Centre Manager, said: “We’re proud to be able to play our part in the largest vaccination programme ever rolled out in the country which will benefit health and care staff, patients and members of the public across Herefordshire.
"We have already been vaccinating health and care staff from a hub at Herefordshire County Hospital so we’re pleased that we can now join our primary care colleagues in offering the vaccine to the wider public as well.
“A lot of hard work has gone into getting Elgar House ready and I would encourage patients and the public to play their part and have their vaccination when they are invited to. Over the coming weeks we will be inviting the priority groups to receive their vaccines directly. Please wait until you receive your invitation – there is no drop-in service. In the meantime, it is crucial that everyone continues to follow the national guidelines to keep themselves safe.”
Other sites in the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Covid-19 vaccination network include:
- GP-led vaccination services– these are led by Primary Care Networks of local GP surgeries working together. There are 17 of these sites covering all areas of Herefordshire and Worcestershire. They have initially concentrated on patients aged over 80 and some are now inviting patients aged over 70
- GP-led teams working to protect care homes residents vaccinating inside the homes, as well as visiting housebound patients
- Hospital Hubs – protecting hospital staff, care home staff and some hospital patients
- Community pharmacies – one has now opened in Redditch with more planning to open in the coming weeks.
Last week, figures published by NHS England showed that 107,690 first vaccinations have already been administered across Herefordshire and Worcestershire, including 44,113 (90%) of residents aged over 80 years.