Leicestershire: Covid vaccines offered at drive-through centre

The centre is the first of its kind to open in Leicestershire

A drive-through Covid-19 vaccination centre has opened in Leicestershire.

The facility, based in the car park at County Hall in Glenfield, is open five days a week and is the first of its kind in the county.

Local health bosses said they were hoping to deliver more than 700 jabs a day to people sat in their vehicles.

Similar centres have been opened in other parts of the country and health leaders said they hoped the convenience would appeal to people.

Dr Caroline Trevithick, deputy chief executive of the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), said they had been trying "all sorts of different methods" to get people vaccinated.

"Finding new and inventive ways of working has been key since the start of the Covid pandemic," she said.

"Creating a drive-through vaccine clinic is just one example of thinking outside the box, making it quick and easy for people to get the jab.

"It's designed to fit around people's busy lives. Families will be able to get the vaccine together, from the comfort of their car, and drive off with confidence that they are now protected against Covid."

The drive-through centre has opened in the car park at County Hall

Vaccines will be available to people aged 12 years and over from Wednesday to Sunday with the process taking about five minutes.

Dr Trevithick said about 85% of the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland population was now vaccinated "but it's still not where we want to be."

"We still want to be higher than that," she said.

"Over Christmas and New Year we had a really good uptake in the vaccination and unfortunately that's dropped off since then.

"So we're hoping that the drive-through will target parts of the community that maybe haven't come forward before."