All people over 55 can get vaccine in King's Lynn at walk-in drop-in centre
The Inspire Centre at Lynn's Queen Elizabeth Hospital is to offer all those over 55 a vaccination against Covid-19 from Tuesday in a pilot scheme in a first-come first serve basis.
Norfolk and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) who are organising the vaccine programme said that across its area 54 per cent of adults have so far received a first dose.
But it said in a statement that "whilst the take up has been very good, we are now in a position where a number of vaccination sites across Norfolk and Waveney will temporarily offer a ‘drop-in’ vaccination clinic where no appointment is needed".
Patients over the age of 55 who have not already booked or received their first dose can attend the Inspire Centre and a medical centre in Beccles on dedicated days and times, just with a valid form of ID to confirm your age and where possible, your NHS number, to receive a jab.
The Inspire Centre at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Foundation sessions will be on Tuesday and Friday of next week between 8.30am and 7.30pm.
This drop-in pilot comes as a result of diversifying the way in which vaccinations are provided across Norfolk and Waveney, encouraging people from younger age groups and harder to reach communities to access vaccinations in ways which are more convenient and accessible to them.
The CCG said: "Whilst we know vaccination appointments have been offered to everyone over the age of 50, these drop-in clinics is a targeted pilot to encourage those who haven’t yet booked a vaccine over the age of 55 to come forward.
"Patients and members of the public attending the drop-in clinic must live in Norfolk and Waveney and within a 20-mile radius of the site they are attending."
Melanie Craig, chief executive, of the CCG, said: “Our local Covid-19 vaccination programme continues to go from strength to strength as we have reached that huge milestone of vaccinating more than half of our adult population across Norfolk and Waveney.
"These extra drop-in appointments mean we can vaccinate even Covid-19 vaccine, please attend a drop-in clinic.
“It is also important to reassure everyone that the Covid-19 vaccines are safe and have been through extensive, international testing; I encourage everyone who hasn’t yet accepted their invitation to do this urgently to protect themselves and others.”
Patients in cohort 5, those aged 65-69 years old, cohort 7, those aged 60-64, and cohort 8, those aged 55-59 and cohort 9, those aged 50 to 54 who have received a letter inviting them are also encouraged to book a vaccine appointment through the national website www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination or by calling 119 if you can’t use the internet.
GP practices will also be vaccinating these groups, so anyone who doesn’t want to or can’t make it to one of these centres can still choose to wait to be contact by their local GP practice. Please do not contact your local GP practice or hospital; please wait to be invited.
Patients in cohort 6 and those that are Clinically Extremely Vulnerable should continue to wait for their GP practice to contact them; as soon as you are offered an appointment, please accept the invitation and attend for your first and subsequent second dose. Cohort 6 also includes carers and unknown carers whose details are being captured and sent across to GP practices.
In the future, further options will be added for patients to choose as to where they receive their vaccination. This includes the addition of more pharmacy-led vaccination sites, mobile vaccination clinics and a potential drive-through option which is being explored.
The CCG said it is expected that additional sites will also offer a drop-in clinic in the near future. It said that the drop-in clinic will close once vaccine supply has been used.
