Asda has opened its first in-store coronavirus vaccination centre in its Old Kent Road branch in London.
The vaccination centre has been set up within the George clothing section and has the capacity to deliver 1000 vaccines per week and more if supply allows, to nationally agreed priority groups.
The opening follows the success of the Big 4 grocer’s two existing in-store Covid-19 vaccination centres. The first opening in Birmingham, closely followed by Asda’s store in Watford in February.
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According to the grocer, the vaccination centres reached a major landmark with the vaccination of the 26,000th patient, two months after they were launched.
The Old Kent Road vaccination centre will be open seven days a week, with trained Asda pharmacy staff administering the Oxford Astra-Zeneca vaccine.
“In January, Asda became the first supermarket to support the NHS vaccination programme with in-store vaccination centres. Since then, our team of highly trained Asda Pharmacists have worked hard to deliver over 26,000 vaccinations to eligible patients,” Asda superintendent pharmacist Faisal Tuddy said.
“We are so proud of the teams across the two sites and are pleased we can extend this clinical service to patients in London. Our Old Kent Road store will have the capacity to vaccinate 1000 people per week, which we hope will be a big step towards helping the local community return to normality.
“Our in-store pharmacies are located at the heart of communities and easily accessible, which makes them a convenient option for priority groups living nearby.”
Eligible patients will receive a letter inviting them to book an appointment for their vaccine with the NHS directly and should not contact the store.