Covid-19 vaccination centre to open in Hemel Hempstead this week

Residents will be contacted when it is their turn to be vaccinated
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A Covid-19 vaccination centre is set to open in Hemel Hempstead this week.

Dacorum residents aged 80 and over as well as people living and working in care homes and health and social care workers will receive their first Covid-19 immunisation from this week onwards as a vaccination centre in Maxted Road, Hemel Hempstead opens tomorrow (Thursday, January 7).

The NHS is prioritising those the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and government has decided will benefit the most.

Residents will be contacted when it is their turn to be vaccinatedResidents will be contacted when it is their turn to be vaccinated
Residents will be contacted when it is their turn to be vaccinated

GP practices are working through their patient lists and people will be contacted when it is their turn to be vaccinated.

Vaccinating all those in the priority groups will take some time and with a new, more infectious strain of the virus in circulation the NHS is asking everyone to assist the vaccination programme by:

> waiting to be contacted by your GP to book an appointment rather than contacting your GP – you will be invited when it is your turn. Remember the NHS will never ask you to pay for a COVID-19 vaccination

> attending both appointments

> continuing to follow all the ‘stay at home’ and other guidance to protect the NHS and save lives.

Corina Ciobanu, GP Chair for Dacorum Locality, said: “Thanks to the incredible efforts of all GP surgeries locally as well as NHS staff and volunteers, the local vaccination centre covering Hemel Hempstead and Dacorum opens this Thursday.

"We’ve already started making contact with the first groups of eligible patients – those living and working in care homes and people aged 80 and over – and scheduling their first jab.

“Over the last four weeks we’ve been working tirelessly to set up a safe, well-run vaccination site. We’re looking forward to inviting our first patients to receive their vaccine – and to extending our programme in the weeks and months ahead.”

The Dacorum site is the latest in a series of GP-led local vaccination centres to open in west Hertfordshire, with thousands people in priority groups across the area having received their first dose of the vaccine in recent weeks.

Vaccines have been given as they have become available and delivered to local sites.

Dr Jane Halpin, Chief Executive of our area’s three Clinical Commissioning Groups, said: “The amount of work that has gone into preparing for the biggest ever vaccination programme in the history of the NHS cannot be overestimated.

"The work undertaken to bring the vaccine into communities in a safe and secure way has been simply remarkable.”

Everyone who is vaccinated will need a booster jab. It takes a few weeks after getting the second dose for the person’s antibodies to reach their optimum level.

For more information visit: www.nhs.uk.