People expecting to receive a vaccine appointment are being asked not to contact their GP practice or hospital, and instead wait to be contacted by the NHS, which is allocating appointments based on the number of available vaccines.
In Swindon alone, it is expected that up to 9,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine will be delivered by the end of January.
These community vaccines come in addition to the many vaccinations being carried out each week by the teams at the Great Western Hospital.
Since the start of December, a number of venues across the region, including the Steam Museum in Rodbourne, have established vaccination clinics, which have helped hundreds of people to receive the vaccine in a single day.
The Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire CCG, along with other NHS organisations across the country, is inviting people to be vaccinated in order of priority need, which has been outlined by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.
Gill May, Director of Nursing and Quality, said: “The first few months of this new year is when we really expect to hit our stride in terms of vaccinating those who are most at risk of developing serious health complications after catching coronavirus.
“To know that more vaccination sites are opening up within the first two weeks of the year is remarkable, and a reflection of our overall ambition to offer the vaccine quickly and safely to as many people as possible.
“I know that many people, especially those over the age of 80, will be feeling anxious over not having yet received an invitation to be vaccinated, but please be patient and rest assured that we are working our way through the lists and no person will be forgotten.”
People with questions about the local coronavirus vaccination programme are encouraged to send their queries via email to bswccg.vaccinequery@nhs.net.
