Jab hub staff praised as it gets set to close doors
The mass vaccination centre in West Lothian will close its doors for the final time later this month as the area eases out of the pandemic.
The vaccination centre at the Pyramids Business Park will close after teams deliver the final dose of vaccine on Sunday.
Over the last 15 months, teams have provided 318,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine to people from across West Lothian and beyond.
Now, as the national vaccination programme enters a more community-based phase, local clinics are being created in place of mass centres to make it as easy as possible for people to get protected.
Pat Wynne, Nurse Director Primary and Community Care, NHS Lothian, paid tribute to the hard work of the teams involved in the centre. He said: “The Pyramids vaccination centre has provided protection to over 318,000 people from across Lothian in one centre alone.
“The team has played a crucial role in the vaccination programme, and I want to personally thank our vaccination teams and everyone who has helped behind the scenes to enable so many people to receive their vaccination.
“I would also like to thank the members of the public who have come forward and rolled up their sleeves. T hank you for doing so.”
The four Health and Social Care Partnerships within Lothian have taken responsibility for the administration and delivery of the vaccination programme within East Lothian, Midlothian, Edinburgh and West Lothian. As part of this new phase, the Pyramids will close as a vaccination centre and West Lothian HSCP will concentrate on smaller, community-based venues.
Patients will continue to receive appointments in the usual way by attending their local clinic or going along to their nearest drop-in clinic.
West Lothian vaccination clinics are currently located at the Carmondean Health Centre, West Calder Health Centre, Strathbrock Partnership Centre, Howden Health Centre, Bathgate Primary Care Centre and Matalan, Livingston.
Alison White, Director of West Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “The team at the Pyramids have done a tremendous job in vaccinating people across West Lothian and the wider region.
“We are delighted to be entering a new phase of the vaccination programme which will allow us to create more convenient, communitybased clinics. Anyone wishing to be vaccinated can do so visiting one any of our clinics, which are continuing to operate seven days a week.
“I encourage anyone who is still to have any dose of the vaccine to get vaccinated as soon as they can.”
More than 2.4 million doses of vaccine have been administered by teams across NHS Lothian.
A total of 738,154 first doses, 697,453 second doses, 15,680 third doses, 577,856 boosters and 317,493 flu vaccines have been administered across the Lothians.
In addition, 14,181 children have also been vaccinated.
Teams have been working tirelessly in mass vaccination centres, drivethrough centres, community-based centres, on a bus, from a vaxi-taxi, in pop-up clinics, in shopping centres, in football stadiums and at a racecourse.