Full details revealed for Hartlepool's latest Covid vaccine walk-in clinic

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The service is on offer at Victoria Road Medical Centre, in Victoria Road, Hartlepool on Saturday, July 24, from 9am-5pm.

A recent morning clinic at the town’s St Aidan’s Church reached capacity within 90 minutes with 130 first and second jabs soon administered.

The Victoria Road Medical Centre session is for people aged over 18 who have not yet taken up the offer of a first Pfizer vaccination.

Queues outside the recent pop-up vaccination clinic at Hartlepool's St Aidan's Church.

Ann Heppenstall, Victoria Road Medical Centre’s business manager, said: "We're opening a Saturday drop-in vaccination clinic in Hartlepool to make it easier for people to just walk-in and get their first jab without having to make an appointment.

"If anyone over 18, who is eligible, hasn't got around having their first vaccination yet, this is the perfect opportunity for them to start to get protected.

"It's really important that no one gets left behind."

First jabs only will be offered at the clinic and a team of immunisers and medical staff will be on hand to answer questions or address any issues of vaccine hesitancy.

The St Aidan's Church clinic reached capacity in 90 minutes.

Dr Janet Walker, chief officer NHS Tees Valley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), has welcomed the decision to hold the walk-in clinic.

She said: "Our vaccination teams across Tees Valley have already delivered almost 800,000 Covid-19 vaccinations from our GP led vaccination clinics, community pharmacies, hospital hubs, the Melissa mobile vaccination bus, pop-up clinics and the Riverside and Darlington Arena large vaccination hubs.

"This walk-in clinic approach is yet another example of our health teams making a real difference to local people and ensuring that wherever you live in Tees Valley you can get a vaccination."

Speaking after the St Aidan’s Church clinic, Tony O’Ceallaigh, Hartlepool Borough Council’s lead for Covid testing, said: “Today has shown there’s a public appetite for this type of pop up clinic so we’ve got an opportunity now to maximise that by providing as many like this as we can.”

No appointment is required for the July 24 clinic and anyone over 18, who lives or works anywhere in the Tees Valley, can attend.

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