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Start date confirmed for roll-out of Covid-19 vaccinations in Sittingbourne

Covid-19 vaccinations will be given to people in Sittingbourne from this Saturday, it has been confirmed.

Last week, the Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) listed the town's Age UK as the site for the rollout programme and said it would begin this week.

A nurse giving out the Covid-19 Pfizer vaccine. Picture: Medway NHS Foundation Trust
A nurse giving out the Covid-19 Pfizer vaccine. Picture: Medway NHS Foundation Trust

The CCG has now confirmed it will start on Saturday, January 16.

A spokesman said all areas of England were rolling out GP vaccine sites in a phased way, and by the end of this week more than 90 per cent of GP surgeries in the county would be covered by a vaccination service, including the Sittingbourne area.

He added: “Implementing the programme has been a huge task but we are confident all eligible patients – which at this stage is those aged over 80 – will have access to the vaccine across the county.

“People will be contacted directly with invitations to be vaccinated. Please be patient and avoid calling your GP unless you have had an invitation.”

Age UK's Heather House Day Centre, in Avenue of Remembrance, Sittingbourne, will provide vaccinations for: The Chestnuts Surgery, London Road Medical Centre, The Surgery Teynham, Memorial Medical Centre, Grovehurst Surgery, Iwade Health Centre, The Meads Medical Practice, Milton Regis Surgery and Lakeside Medical Centre.

Cllr Roger Truelove, leader of Swale council. Picture: Swale council
Cllr Roger Truelove, leader of Swale council. Picture: Swale council

Swale council leader Roger Truelove welcomed the news.

He said: "This will be a great relief to local people, many of whom have been contacting me in recent weeks concerned about the lack of any service in our town."

It comes after GPs had been urged to start vaccinating people in Sittingbourne as residents were becoming concerned they were being left behind.

The Covid-19 Pfizer jab has been rolled out on Sheppey and to patients in Upchurch, but not in the town itself, despite Swale's high infection rate.

Read more: All the latest news from Sittingbourne

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