More local GPs begin offering COVID-19 Vaccine as part of biggest NHS Immunisation Programme – 22nd December 2020

More local vaccination services run by family doctors and their teams will open across mid and south Essex today (Tuesday 22 December 2020), as the roll out of the biggest vaccination programme in NHS history continues.

A vaccination centre is launching today at Emmanuel Archer Hall, Billericay.

This latest centre is in addition to those that have already opened during the past week in Brentwood, Rochford, Danbury, Leigh-On-Sea, Grays, Rayleigh, Maldon, Westcliff-On-Sea and Wickford.

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 other health care workers, identified as priority groups for the vaccine.

Residents of care homes will also receive their first vaccine shortly after distributors finalise new, stringent processes to ensure safe delivery of the PfizerBioNTech vaccine.

Like hospital staff at Basildon University Hospital (part of NHS Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust), who launched their campaign recently, local practice teams are working rapidly to redesign their sites and put in place safe processes to meet the tough logistical challenges of offering the vaccination.

The local NHS will contact people in the priority groups when it is their turn to receive the vaccine and local residents are being asked not to contact their practice enquiring about vaccination.

Patients receive two doses of the Pfizer vaccine by injection into their upper arm, at least 21 days apart. For further information about the vaccine visit: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/coronavirus-vaccine/

Further information about the local COVID-19 vaccination programme is available at https://eput.nhs.uk/news-events/coronavirus/coronavirus-vaccine/