University to host jab drive-through
The region’s first drivethrough Covid vaccination clinic has opened at the University of Bath.
Adults over the age of 18 in need of their booster vaccine will be able to visit the site, which is being hosted in the university’s east car park at Claverton Down, every Sunday.
The drive-through clinic will be open between 10am and 4pm, and those arriving for a booster jab will not need to have prebooked an appointment, nor be registered with a GP.
As the site is designed solely for in-vehicle vaccinations, anyone arriving on foot will be turned away.
Gill May, director of nursing and quality, said: “We are always looking at how to make our vaccination offer more accessible and more convenient, and we hope this new drive-through option will tick both boxes.
“People will get their boosters in their car and most should be in and out of the site in less than 20 minutes, meaning the whole process can easily be added on to the beginning or end of anybody’s weekend plans.
“With Plan B restrictions coming to an end this week, there has never been a better time for people to boost their immunity against coronavirus, and the more transmissible Omicron variant, which we know affects those who have only had two doses much more severely.”
A fast lane will be in use for people getting vaccinated but who are not behind the wheel, as non-drivers are not required to wait 15 minutes after having the jab.
Although currently only open on Sundays, extra clinic days could be added in future should the venue prove popular.
Keith Zimmerman, chief operating officer at University of Bath, said: “We are very pleased to be able to help the NHS deliver its booster programme by using the east car park at Claverton Down campus as a drive-in location.
“We hope this will help get as many people boosted as possible over the coming weeks, and give themselves and each other the best possible protection against Covid-19.”
So far, more than 2.1 million vaccines have been given out across Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire, including more than 600,000 booster doses.
Vaccines for coronavirus remain available from sites across the region including at Bath Racecourse, the Steam Museum in Swindon and Salisbury City Hall.
Most now offer vaccinations without an appointment, although people are advised to check which venues are open to walk-ins by visiting www.nhs.uk.
Similarly, people can still visit www.nhs.uk to pre-book a vaccine appointment at the most convenient site.
More information about the local rollout of the coronavirus vaccine, including an extensive list of frequently asked questions, can be found at www.bswccg. nhs.uk.