WEST Yorkshire’s first large-scale vaccination centre opens its doors to patients today.

Staff from The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust and Spectrum Community Health CIC will be delivering vaccinations at the centre set up at Spectrum Community Health, Navigation Walk in Wakefield.

The centre is the first of the region's four centres to open, with one at Jacob's Well in Bradford city centre due to open in the coming weeks.

People in the nationally agreed priority groups who live 30 to 45 minutes drive from any of the large vaccination centres are receiving an invitation letter from the NHS national booking service. This will explain how to book appointment at any of the centres that are open, including those at community pharmacies.

If people prefer, they can wait to receive an invitation from their GP practice for an appointment at their local centre or choose to wait for the other centres to open over the next few weeks.

Dr Phil Wood, Senior Responsible Officer for the West Yorkshire Vaccination Programme said: “We are delighted to be able to open our first large vaccination centre.

"This will help us to vaccinate greater numbers of at risk people as quickly as possible and adds to the range of options that are available for people to choose from. Our other three centres will be opening over the next three weeks, which will help us to reach people in all areas of West Yorkshire.

“We have had a great response from people who have been invited for a vaccination so far but please do not worry if you are in one of the first four priority groups and haven’t been contacted yet.

2We are working hard to offer vaccinations to everyone in the first four priority groups as quickly as supplies allow and will contact everyone over the next few weeks to book their appointment.”

Jane Palmer is a registered nurse at The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust and one of the vaccinators at the new centre.

She said: “Covid-19 has affected us all, whether it’s what we’ve witnessed first-hand on the front line, or what we’ve been through in our own personal lives. I feel very privileged to be able to play a part in helping to protect our local community against this awful virus.”

As well as the centres in Wakefield and Bradford, there will also be one at John Smith’s Stadium in Huddersfield and Elland Road in Leeds.