Coronavirus jabs will be given to health and social care staff at the Brighton Centre tomorrow (Monday 25 January) when the venue becomes one of 32 mass vaccination centres nationwide.
And from Tuesday priority groups will start to receive their jabs, with health chiefs asking people not to just turn up but to wait until they are offered a slot.
The site opens as the latest figures suggest that the number of new cases in Brighton and Hove has dropped by a third in just a week.
On Friday, figures from Public Health England recorded 1,202 cases in the seven days to Monday 11 January, down from 1,816 in the previous seven days.
The rate per 100,000 people dropped from 624.3 to 413.2.
When the Brighton Centre opens its doors it will become the biggest mass vaccination centre in Sussex
The centre is being run by the Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, which is based at Brighton General Hospital.
The centre gives those who are eligible another option to receive their vaccine, in addition to their local GP-led vaccination services.
This means people in the top four priority groups who have not yet received their vaccine will be able to choose between travelling to the vaccination centre or to have their jab at a GP-led vaccination service.
Vaccination centres are not only much larger than GP-led local vaccination services, the way appointments are booked is also different.
While GPs invite their patients to have the jab closer to home, appointments at the vaccination centres are made through the national booking service.
Appointments cannot be booked directly with the Brighton Centre or through GPs – and health chiefs are urging residents not to contact the Brighton Centre or Brighton and Hove City Council directly.
The national NHS booking service will write to eligible people living within 60 miles of the Brighton Centre giving them all the details they need to book an appointment online or by phone.
At present the NHS is ensuring that the over 80s are vaccinated before extending invitations to the next priority age groups.
Anyone receiving a letter from the national booking service can choose the Brighton Centre or wait to be contacted by their GP if a local site would be more convenient.
Health chiefs said: “The launch of the vaccination centre is the latest step in the ongoing phased roll-out of the Sussex vaccination programme.
“The NHS in Sussex is working to have vaccinated all over 80s and frontline health and care workers by mid-February and expects to have vaccinated in all care home for older people by Sunday 24 January.”
within 60 miles???? Walk, cycle??
Where do I book a Covid booster, please?