York has been chosen to host one of the national Covid vaccination ‘super centres’ it was revealed tonight (Thursday).
It will operate from the existing but much-expanded hub at Askham Bar.
Dr Mike Holmes, chair of Nimbuscare, the primary care group overseeing the vaccination programme in York, told a meeting: “We have been commissioned by the NHS to deliver a national vaccination centre.
“Many of you will have noticed that earlier this week there were seven centres that were launched.
“We’re going to be in wave 2. We will launch a national vaccination centre from Askham Bar from Monday.”
Dr Holmes, who hinted at this development on YorkMix Radio yesterday, told the City of York Council executive that modular buildings by Portakabin have been installed at the site.
“In the initial stages it will provide us with an additional 8,000 vaccination appointments, and they’re going to be for both patients and health and social care staff.”
GP practices will invite patients to use the service, Dr Holmes said, based on the nationally set priority cohorts.
Otherwise people will be invited by using the national booking website after being invited to do so by the NHS.
This will be to people within a 45-minute travelling radius of Askham Bar.
There’s also going to be a separate booking system for local health care staff.
All of York’s care home residents are set to have received the vaccination by early next week and the meeting heard 12,000 total vaccinations have already been done in the city.
Housebound residents are set to be vaccinated soon and Dr Holmes said the site received 1,200 doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine yesterday afternoon (Thursday).
Additional reporting: Chloe Laversuch – Local Democracy Reporter