Two walk-in Covid-19 vaccination clinics aim to vaccinate thousands of people from Canterbury and nearby areas this weekend. By the end of this week, all adults over 18 will be eligible for the vaccine.
On Saturday, 19 June, Canterbury North and Canterbury South Primary Care Networks will be opening their vaccination centre for first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine at the Sea Cadet site in Vauxhall Road from 10am to 5pm. No appointments are necessary and the GP-led team will be able to vaccinate up to 1,000 people throughout the day. Parking is available nearby. Weekday appointments are also bookable via the online national booking service or by calling 119.
Canterbury Christ Church University’s Augustine Hall will be hosting a mass walk-in clinic on Sunday, 20 June from 8.30am to 7pm and aims to deliver thousands of first doses of the Pfizer vaccine. The clinic, which is five minutes’ walk from both Canterbury East railway station and the bus station, has no parking on site but there are car parks nearby.
Sunday’s clinic is being delivered by Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust, which has been successfully running five large vaccination centres in Gravesend, Folkestone, Ramsgate, Tonbridge and Chatham for some time.
Those who receive a vaccination at either clinic are advised to visit the online national booking service a few days after their first jab to book their second dose.
Paula Wilkins, Chief Nurse at NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group, who oversees the vaccination programme in the county, said: “Now that the final group of people are being invited for their jabs, we’re keen to vaccinate as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. Even if you were invited for a jab a while ago, you can still come along.
“Canterbury has seen a rise in the number of Delta variant cases recently so we are concentrating our efforts in the town centre this weekend. We very much hope that the clinic will be a success and we will then be able to roll out similar models in other areas across Kent and Medway.”
There may be queues outside of the clinics so people are asked to eat before they arrive, wear appropriate clothing and observe social distancing rules.
Paula continued: “You may think Covid won’t affect you but it’s really important to get two doses of the jab to protect yourself, your family and your community. You could be spreading the virus without realising but the vaccine is saving lives and preventing hospitalisations. Please come along and play your part.
“The vaccination programme is the largest and most successful in NHS history but it has been a team effort throughout. I’d like to thank Canterbury North and Canterbury South Primary Care Networks, Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust, Canterbury Christ Church University and Canterbury City Council for their help in putting on this weekend’s clinics.”
In Kent and Medway, almost 1,090,000 first doses and more than 792,000 second doses have been delivered since the programme began six months ago.
The NHS Covid vaccination programme started inviting the remaining adults for their jabs this week. Appointments can be made via the national booking service at www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination but are not necessary for the walk-in clinics being held this weekend. People who cannot go online can call the service on 119 to book their jab.
For more information on the roll out of the Covid-19 vaccination in Kent and Medway, and to find other locations of vaccination sites, visit www.kentandmedwayccg.nhs.uk/covid19vaccine.