COVID-19 Vaccination Centres launch across Hampshire and Isle of Wight
Three vaccination centres and a further number of local vaccination services, which are run by local GP surgeries working together, and a hospital hub will be launched across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in January as part of the largest vaccination programme the NHS has ever undertaken.
The centres will mean that even more people will be able to get vaccinated from across the area. The sites join the network of local vaccination centres hospital hubs and vaccination centre that are already in operation around the region.
Initially, vaccinations will be offered to people in line with recommendations from the independent JCVI. The NHS will contact people when it is their turn. People will need an appointment to get their vaccine; most people will be invited by letter from their GP practice or the national programme.
Dr Dan Baylis, Chief Medical Officer at Solent NHS Trust, who are running the vaccination centres, said:
“We are proud that Solent NHS Trust has been asked to support the delivery of the COVID-19 vaccination programme across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
“Coronavirus has been the single biggest public health emergency in NHS history, and I am incredibly grateful to everyone who was involved in setting up the vaccination centres across the county and on the island.
“This continues to be such a challenging time for NHS colleagues, and it is testament to the hard work of everyone across the NHS that we are able to deliver this at the same time as continuing to be there for everyone who needs care.”
The vaccination centres going live over the next couple of weeks are:
- St James Hospital, Portsmouth
- Basingstoke Fire Station
- The Riverside Centre, Isle of Wight.
The vaccination services going live are:
- University Health Centre, Southampton
- Eastleigh Health Centre
- Southsea Medical Centre, Portsmouth
The hospital hub going live is Andover War Memorial Hospital.
Oakley Road in Millbrook, Southampton, which is currently being used to vaccinate health and social care staff, will also be opened up further as a vaccination centre to provide vaccinations to the public.
Doctor Uma Rani Padmanabhi, who works for Solent NHS Trust’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), was one of the first people in the Trust to receive the vaccine and was very happy that the rollout of the vaccine had begun. She said:
“The past year has been such an incredibly difficult time for everyone, particularly for those working across the frontline of the NHS – but getting the vaccine really does give us all a sense of hope and optimism that this may be the beginning of the road to normality.
“I would strongly encourage everyone to take the opportunity to receive the vaccine when it is available to them.”
