Charnwood Borough Council have this week opened part of their offices to be used as a community-based vaccination centre in the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine.
As we reported last month Charnwood was in discussions with local NHS groups to how best to deliver the vaccine throughout Charnwood and Loughborough.
Working with the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Clinical Commissioning Groups 4 new community vaccination centres have been opened throughout the region, in Leicester, Oakham, Melton Mowbray & Loughborough.
Opening these community vaccination centres allows for the speed of the vaccine rollout to be increased by allowing for more people to be vaccinated per day. Having centralised vaccination hubs also solves some of the distribution properties of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, as it needs to be stored at -70°C and is delivered in batches of 975 doses which must be distributed within 5 days of thawing.
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, identified as priority groups for the life-saving vaccine.
The leader of Charnwood Borough Council, Jonathan Morgan, welcomed the opening of the centre saying,
“The roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccination programme is an important step in the fight against the virus and, as a Council, we are proud that we have been able to play our part.
“The Council has continued to support its residents and businesses throughout the pandemic, and the news that the vaccine is now being offered locally provides hope for the year ahead.”
He later posted a video online in which he stressed the importance of those eligible for the vaccine waiting until they are contacted by their local GP practice to book an appointment to receive the vaccine.
I popped down to see the new NHS Community Vaccination Centre @CharnwoodBC offices in Loughborough – steady stream of happy residents coming and going – no queues and very well managed. Charnwood GP practices will make contact to book you in at the right time. pic.twitter.com/hDYovt6TOk
— Jonathan Morgan #StayAlertSaveLives (@jono_morgan) December 22, 2020
While students are likely to be among the last to receive the vaccine themselves, the start of the vaccination programme here in Leicestershire points towards the start of life getting back to normal as high risk groups start to get vaccinated.
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