Littlehampton to get temporary vaccination centre

Littlehampton Town Council is hiring of one its community facilities, the Southfields Jubilee Centre, in Southfields Road, to a consortium of three GP practices; Park Surgery, Willow Green Surgery and Westcourt Medical Centre.

Dr Tim Kimber, from the Park Surgery, said: “We did first doses of Pfizer at Westcourt. This created two main difficulties. Firstly, the need to wait 15 minutes after vaccination with Pfizer, and the space in the waiting room to do this. Secondly, the impingement on normal service.

“The AstraZeneca vaccine is logistically much easier to handle and we all gave first doses in our own practices. We decided that if we could find a suitable site with a large waiting area, it would be better to give do second doses Pfizer off site.

“The town council offered us the Jubilee Centre, which currently is not in use.

“We aim to give all second doses of the Pfizer vaccine within the next two weeks, after which time the hall will revert to normal use.

“All GP vaccine services are now concentrating on second doses. Second doses of AstraZeneca will be given in the patients’ own practices.”

A spokesman for the town council said it was delighted to be a part of the national and local effort against Covid-19.

They added: “The surgeries will be using the facilities for a short period of time to enable second doses to be given.

“It is important that people remember to wait to be contacted by their respective surgery and that they continue to follow reliable sources of information regarding the vaccination programme.”