Rugby club to be used as venue for flu jabs sessions

A CARMARTHEN club will be used venue for flu jabs month.

Bosses at the town’s largest GP practice, Furnace House Surgery, have announced the annual flu vaccination sessions will be provided as usual, but the clinics will take place at Carmarthen Athletic Club in Alltycnap Road, Johnstown.

These will happen during the weeks commencing October 5 and 12, between 9am until 4pm, Monday to Friday, by appointment only.

A social distancing queuing system and strict infection control measures will be in place at the rugby club to reduce the risk of Covid-19.

Furnace House practice manager Anne Jenkins said: “The vaccinations will be offered in a safe rugby as a next environment with sufficient parking to manage the expected number of patients.

“Patients will need to follow a one-way system.”

Those eligible for the vaccine are peope aged 65 years and over, who are more at risk of serious complications if they catch flu, along with those with long-term health conditions that may be at risk of becoming very unwell if they get flu and those looking after someone whose health or welfare would be at risk if the carer fell.

For pregnant women the vaccine is deemed very safe and one of the best ways to protect themselves and their baby against flu.

In addition, anyone who has been shielding during the coronavirus pandemic is eligible for the vaccine.

Patients at the neighbouring St Peter’s Surgery will still go to the practice as usual for the flu vaccine.

The surgery will hold jab appointments across two weekends, October 3 and 4 and October 17 and 18.

Practice manager Sian Evans said St Peter’s Surgery did look at holding ‘drive-thru’ vaccines or outside of the building but it was decided to keep the appointments indoors.

She added: “We will be doing them over the Saturdays and Sundays of those weekends but seeing less patients than usual, spacing out appointments because of the pandemic.

“At the moment we are looking at the two weekends in October.

“We decided to keep the set up as usual but where normally getting the flu vaccine is a fairly fast process, this year we will need to take more time due to social distancing.”

Appointments can be made by calling the surgery.

The town’s Morfa Lane Surgery will also be offering flu vaccination clinics at its practice between Monday, October 12 and Friday, October 16.

These will take place between 1pm and 5pm, no appointment is necesssary and a socially distanced queuing system will be in operation.

The flu vaccine does not provide any protection against Covid-19, and vaccine trials for the virus are currently ongoing.