Dorchester’s large vaccination centre will close this week as the Dorset COVID-19 vaccination programme moves into its next phase.
The centre, in the offices of the NHS Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group at Vespasian House, opened in December as part of the pre-Christmas push to get booster jabs into arms.
Improving access to the vaccination for the people of mid and west Dorset, the centre has delivered more than 25,000 vaccinations in the past six months.
As well as offering vaccinations on-site it has also been a base for the delivery of the programme into schools and care homes in the west of the county, as well as visits to give housebound people their life-saving dose.
The centre’s closure on Thursday (26 May) heralds a new model which aims to reach even more people by offering a more localised provision in key hubs around the county.
Sites in Weymouth, Bridport and Blandford Forum are or will soon be in operation, while the Pharmacy2U site on the High Street in Dorchester will become the primary vaccination centre for the county town.
Clinical lead for the vaccination service Dr Ravin Ramtohal, of Highcliffe Medical Centre, said: “The centre at Vespasian House has been a key site for our communities in the west of the county. We’d like to thank the thousands of people who have come forward for their vaccination there, as well as the staff and volunteers who have run it so efficiently.
“We’re moving into the next phase of the programme now and we know that a more localised offer is what people prefer. We continue to encourage everyone who is eligible to take up the offer of a vaccine, whether it’s a first, second or booster dose. It’s not too late to come forward.”
More information on where you can get your jab, whichever dose you need, is available on the Dorset HealthCare vaccination service web page. You can book for many sites on the NHS National Booking System or by calling 119.
