Vaccinators get set to bid farewell to Caird Hall after 135,000 jabs

After eight months and 135,000 jabs, vaccinators are preparing to bid farewell to Dundee’s Caird Hall.

The final session will be held on Monday.

NHS Tayside announced the move on Friday now that all adults in the region have been offered both doses of a vaccine.

Staff are now preparing to move on to the next stage of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout, which includes vaccinations for those aged 12-15 as well as booster and seasonal flu jabs.

Drop-ins will continue at local venues in communities across Dundee for anyone who is eligible and who hasn’t yet had their first or second vaccine.

The vaccination team will then move to a new city centre venue for the wider seasonal flu and Covid booster vaccination programme.

Grant Archibald, the health board’s chief executive, said the venue had been an important part of the programme.

He said: “I want to thank every single person who has been involved in this.

“From our vaccinators, administrative and support staff, security and marshal teams, to colleagues in Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership, Dundee City Council, Leisure and Culture Dundee and the armed forces, it has been a fantastic example of partnership working to get the venue set up and deliver a programme of this scale.

“A huge thank you also goes to everyone who has attended the centre, come rain or shine, and rolled up their sleeves to get vaccinated.”

Dr Daniel Chandler, associate director of public health, said the programme has been a “great success” with more than 600,000 vaccines delivered across the region with “very high levels of uptake”, particularly amongst the older and more vulnerable groups.

He added: “As we move into the next phase we will continue to make vaccination as accessible as we can by continuing to offer drop-in sessions at community venues across the city while we get our new Dundee vaccination centre set up.

“I would encourage anyone who has not yet been vaccinated to take up the opportunity and head down to the Caird Hall this weekend, or to one of our pop-up clinics, and get the jab.”

For details of drop-ins taking place across Tayside, click here.