COVID-19 Vaccination Centres launch across Hampshire and Isle of Wight

Another covid-19 vaccination site is due to go live on the Isle of Wight later this month.

The Riverside Centre, in Newport, will join St James Hospital, in Portsmouth, and Basingstoke Fire Station, as three vaccination centres going live in January.

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 in 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 is 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 Riverside Centre will join four other PCN-led vaccine sites on the island - The Westridge Centre, in Ryde, The Bay Medical Practice, in Shanklin, West Wight Sport and Community Centre, in Freshwater and Carisbrooke Health Centre in Newport.

And as announced yesterday, NHS and social care staff on the Island have started to receive their coronavirus vaccine as IOW NHS Trust launched its COVID-19 vaccination hub at St Mary's Hospital.

Alison Smith, managing director of NHS Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “The opening of an additional vaccination centre on the island is great news for our residents as this will greatly increase our capacity to vaccine people.

“Setting up the covid vaccination programme has been an enormous undertaking and the way that we have pulled together to make this happen has been fantastic.

“I absolutely need to pay tribute to all colleagues and volunteers. They have been phenomenal in pulling together and setting our clinics up with such speed and efficiency. I want to say a big thank you to them for all their hard work and share how proud I am of my colleagues for their incredible efforts.

“As we accelerate our vaccination programme, we remain focused on delivering to our over 80 year olds, care homes and those working for health and care.

“We still have covid-19 circulating in our communities and so we need to do all we can to keep ourselves and each other safe.

“I remind everyone to continue to wash their hands for 20 seconds regularly, to wear a face covering when required and to maintain social distancing of two metres.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

The sites across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are: