Vaccination sites in Selsey and Tangmere go live

A vial for the first available Covid-19 immunisation, Pfizer-BioNTech’s mRNA vaccine

The first people booked in are those at the highest risk of COVID-19 – those over the age of 80.

It is expected that more than 1,500 people will be vaccinated across the two sites over the next four days, a spokesman confirmed.

These two sites are the latest to go live in the Chichester District, after vaccinations started in Pulborough for those in the north of the District earlier this month.

Vaccinations are also due to start at Riverbank Medical Centre and Petworth Surgery in the next two weeks, subject to supply of the vaccine, the spokesman said.

The sites at Tangmere Hall start vaccinating today, and Selsey Centre are for patients at:

– Cathedral Medical Group

– Langley House Surgery

– Lavant Road Surgery

– Parklands Surgery

– Selsey Medical Practice

– Southbourne Surgery

– Tangmere Medical Centre

– Witterings Medical Centre

People will be contacted by the NHS when it is their turn to receive the vaccine and are asked to not contact their GP to ask for it – you will be contacted by the NHS as soon as an appointment is available, the spokesman said.

The timing of when people will get the vaccination depends on the availability of the vaccine and the priority group they are in, which is set by the national Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (an independent expert advisory committee).

Dr Hannah Davies, Medical Director for NHS West Sussex CCG, said: “It is fantastic to see that these two further GP led vaccination services are now live for people in the Chichester district.

“The local Primary Care Network, GPs and their practice staff, along with our teams have been working extremely hard to get these sites up and running as quickly as possible for the communities of Chichester, and I would like to thank everyone involved for all their hard work and dedication in getting us to this point.”

All three GP led vaccination services are set up to enable the teams to safely vaccinate as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, said the spokesman.

Travelling to get a vaccine during lockdown is allowed, including receiving a lift from someone or using community transport providers, confirmed the spokesman.

Find out more about the roll out of the COVID-19 vaccination programme in Sussex here.

SEE MORE: This is why a city centre site for vaccinations in Chichester is not being considered