Local vaccination army preparing for huge end-of-year booster vaccine drive

The move to speed up vaccinations follows an announcement by the Prime Minister, in which it was said that booster vaccines are the best form of protection against the new Omicron variant of coronavirus.

Existing vaccination sites in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW) will begin extending their opening hours, while new vaccine venues will also be looked at, to help ensure up to 18,000 jabs can be given locally each day over the coming weeks.

Booster vaccines will soon be available to all adults over the age of 18, providing three months have passed since a person’s second coronavirus jab.

As before, people are encouraged to pre-book a booster vaccination appointment, rather than arrive at a venue without a confirmed slot.

Gill May, Director of Nursing and Quality, at BSW Clinical Commissioning Group said:

“We are pulling out all the stops to ensure we meet the vaccination target announced by the government.

“It is going to be an incredibly busy few weeks, and I ask for people to show their support to our already-stretched vaccine teams by pre-booking appointments wherever possible and treating our staff with kindness and respect.”

People are reminded to make every effort to attend their vaccination appointment and, where this is not possible, to use the National Booking Service to cancel their slot.

Booster appointments can be booked online at www.nhs.uk and over the phone by calling 119.

Sites that are able to offer walk-in appointments will be advertised on the NHS website.