Flu jabs to be administered at drive-through centres

Drive-through flu jab centres have opened in Edinburgh to ensure the vaccine can still be administered during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The centres will aim to vaccinate up to 500 people per day and will operate every weekend until December.

Established by the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership (EHSCP), the drive-throughs are aimed at ensuring the 150,000 eligible people in the city can receive their vaccination.

Judith Proctor, chief officer of EHSCP, said: “As part of our mission to support a caring, healthier and safer Edinburgh, we’re committed to making it even easier to get a flu vaccine this year.

“The flu vaccine is an important health protection measure and we want to make sure that everyone who is eligible has access to the vaccine.

“To keep the people of Edinburgh safe, and to respect physical distancing measures, we have confirmed a range of Edinburgh venues to offer access to the flu vaccine, including a drive-through service at sites across the city.

“This is the first time a drive-through model has been used for vaccinations in Scotland, and could provide a blueprint for how to deliver vaccination programmes successfully in the future.

“Details of where people can go to receive a flu vaccine will be available on the NHS Inform website.”

Walk-in clinics will be available for those without a car.

On Friday, interim deputy chief medical officer Dr Nicola Steedman urged Scots to ensure they get the flu jab to avoid the risk of contracting coronavirus and flu at the same time, which she described as “extremely serious”.