Covid: Vaccination centre opens in Falmouth

A coronavirus vaccination centre has been opened in Falmouth, health and town bosses have said.

The new walk-in centre - due to be open four days a week, depending on demand - is above Falmouth Town Council's offices, in the old Post Office building in the town centre.

The closest centre to the Cornwall town had been at Stithians, about eight miles (13km) away.

Bosses said the move was partly to tackle low vaccination take-up rates.

'Additional virus pressure'

The Falmouth Town Team said the new clinic meant people could "either pre-book appointments or simply turn-up at the new location to receive the appropriate vaccinations or boosters, depending on their status".

It comes after officials admitted people had "struggled to get there and back" from the Stithians centre, even though it was "well attended".

The new centre is due to be open four days a week, depending on demand

Falmouth BID manager Richard Wilcox, part of the Falmouth Town Team, which worked on opening the centre, said it would help as "the additional pressure of the virus continues to hit us all in different ways".

He said town managers and health staff were "already planning for a busy February half term and Easter for our business community".

He said: "To ensure that the current staff shortages and challenges are minimised as much as possible, we're urging everyone to come forward to get their first and second doses and boosters ASAP."

Chris Naidu, who is running the clinic, said there was a "high proportion of patients" still not vaccinated in the Falmouth and Penryn area.

He said: "At least 5,000 are still due their booster vaccine, and half of 12 to 15-year-olds are also due the vaccine as well."

The Falmouth North ward has about 53% of people with three vaccination doses, but about 20% completely unvaccinated, official figures said.

Across Cornwall, the average take-up rate for three doses is just under 66%.