NHS Grampian confirm which Aberdeenshire towns will have Covid vaccination centres
The venues are being finalised as scheduling of appointments has already begun. Work is also underway to secure a mobile unit for rural communities.
NHS Grampian say Covid vaccination centres are to be set up in Peterhead, Ellon, Inverurie, Hntly, Stonehaven, Banchory,Fraserburgh, MacDuff and Alford.
They will be operated by the health board and Aberdeenshire Health & Social Care Partnership.
The clinics in Huntly and Alford will work in week to week rotation, while all others will be operating every week.
Work is also ongoing to secure a mobile unit to take vaccines to some of the most rural communities.
Appointments are already being scheduled for all centres and people in the 75-79 age bracket should start to receive their appointment letters in the coming days.
Angie Wood, Interim Chief Officer for Aberdeenshire Health & Social Care Partnership, said: “The roll-out of this vaccine will be one of the biggest undertakings that we have ever delivered. We have sought, when choosing the locations of our venues to, as far as possible, ensure that every clinic will be within roughly 10 mile drive.
“The rural geography of Aberdeenshire means that we will have 8 full-time mass vaccination clinics which will be supported by a mobile vaccination unit as well.
“We have also undertaken a huge recruitment drive and I am happy to say that we have been able to supplement our teams and that we are in good shape to start welcoming the over 75s in the very near future”
All centres are operating on an appointments only basis – there will be no ‘drop-in’ facility. In all cases people should attend appointments on their own unless they require the assistance of a carer.
A carer may attend the appointment for support and both the individual and their carer should wear a face covering. COVID-19 safety measures will be in place in all venues and these must be adhered to, to protect both the public and the vaccination and venue staff.
Appointment letters will contain information on travel to and from the relevant centre. People are encouraged to make every effort to arrange their own transport to clinics. Travel for medical appointments is classed as essential travel and car sharing (with precautions) is permitted.
Each venue has been thoroughly vetted and has had to meet a number of criteria including location, size, availability of separate rest and changing space for staff, pre vaccination waiting area, post vaccination rest area, disabled access, suitable storage facilities, availability ( venues need to be secured for at least 6 months) as well as separate entrance and exit.