The first weekend of July saw more than 1,000 people across mid and south Essex receive their COVID jab from a walk-in clinic.
NHS facilities at Thurrock Health Centre, Pall Mall Surgery in Leigh-on-Sea and Chadwell Health Centre offered COVID-19 vaccinations to anyone walking in who needed them.
The walk-in sessions are the latest offering of the local COVID vaccination programme being overseen by the Mid and South Essex Health and Care Partnership, which includes the NHS in partnership with local authorities, volunteers, and community groups.
Thurrock Council promoted and supported the sessions at Thurrock and Chadwell Health Centres to ensure as many people as possible knew they were happening, while a team of volunteers mobilised by Thurrock ngage and Thurrock Community and Voluntary Services (CVS). There was similar collaboration from organisations in Southend-on-Sea to support Pall Mall Surgery.
The support of volunteers to help steward the sessions meant local people did not need an appointment or their NHS number to get their jab. They could simply walk in and give their details before receiving a dose of vaccine from NHS clinical workers.
The vaccination programme has demonstrated how effective partnership working can be to achieve better outcomes for residents in the nine districts and unitary authority areas covered by Mid Essex Health and Care Partnership, according to Dr José Garcia Lobera, a GP partner at Pall Mall Surgery.
Dr Lobera, Chair of NHS Southend Clinical Commissioning Group (part of the partnership), added:
“As soon as we opened for walk-in COVID vaccinations on Saturday July 3 we knew uptake was going to be high. About 250 people in total were vaccinated and I’d like to offer my sincere thanks to everyone who helped.
“People who came for their vaccine said it was a very well organised session and had a good atmosphere. We would like to vaccinate even more people locally so if you have not yet had a COVID jab and there is a walk-in session near you, please go along.”
Dr Anil Kallil, GP and Chair of Thurrock Clinical Commissioning Group, said:
“We were pleased to promote and support these sessions at Thurrock and Chadwell Health Centres to make sure as many people as possible knew they were happening. It was great to see real partnership approach with Thurrock’s voluntary sector, and Council who put forward a team of volunteers to encourage take up. Thurrock people turned up on mass and this was very encouraging in helping us to fight COVID.“
You do not need to be registered with a GP to take advantage of the walk-in vaccination sessions that continue in Southend until the end of the month for ages 40 and over. You can receive your second dose of the COVID vaccine any time from 8 weeks after your first.
Please note that the vaccine walk in clinics continue this week and next at Stifford Clays Medical Centre and Chadwell Medical Centre, see notes to editor for the list of dates and times.
