Seven community pharmacy Covid-19 vaccination sites have opened this week across the North West, as the region reaches 6 million doses of vaccine given and the country hits 30 million first doses.

The additional sites will improve access to the vaccination programme with a number of them hosted in community, religious and spiritual venues including a theatre and a gothic church. Further pharmacy sites are expected to open later this month.

People aged 38 and over, health and care workers, unpaid carers and those with underlying health conditions are invited to book their Covid-19 jab as the national vaccine programme, the biggest and fastest in NHS history, continues at pace, with further cohorts expected in the coming weeks.

The full list of sites going live this week is below:

• Linacre Methodist Mission, Linacre Road, L21 8NS.
• St Faith’s Church, Crosby Road North, L23 4RE.
• Nantwich Masonic Lodge, 107 Wybunbury Road, Nantwich, CW5 7ER.
• Superdrug – 48 Derby Road, Huyton, L36 8UJ.
• Superdrug – 10 Eastbank Street, Southport PR8 1DJ
• Vicars Cross United Reformed Church, Oldfield Drive, Vicars Cross, Chester, CH3 5LL.
• Brookdale Theatre, 61 North Park Road, Bramhall, SK7 3AB.

This takes the total number of pharmacy-led vaccination sites to 45 in the North West.

Figures on Friday, 14 May show a total of 6,047,562 first and second doses of the vaccine since the NHS vaccination programme launched on 8 December, 2020.

Regional Director of Commissioning (North West) Dr Linda Charles-Ozuzu, said: “I am delighted to see these additional pharmacy teams, joining us in the fight to beat Covid-19 and it’s great news for the people in those communities, who will be able to access vaccine services closer to where they live.

“We are now asking people aged 38 – 39 to come forward to receive their vaccine, in addition to anyone from the previous groups that were invited and have received the offer but may not yet have booked.

“We all want to get back to some  form of normality and we have already taken massive strides to get there in the North West, so if you are eligible for the vaccine, please do your bit to protect yourself and your loved ones.”

People who have received a letter or text inviting them to book their vaccine can log on to the national booking service at www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination and choose from a range of vaccination services across the North West.

Anyone unable to book online can call 119 free of charge, anytime between 7am and 11pm seven days a week.