The NHS in the North West is celebrating more than 1.5 million jabs delivered in one year at mass vaccination sites.

One year ago today (January 11), the first large scale vaccination site at the Etihad Tennis Centre in Manchester opened its doors to eligible people to get their life-saving Covid-19 jabs. The site, based at the home of one of Manchester’s larges football stadiums, has delivered more than 400,000 doses of the vaccine – an impressive effort from NHS staff and volunteers.

Days after on 18 January 2021, two more mass vaccination sites opened at St Helens Rugby Stadium and Blackburn Cathedral which have delivered more than 410,000 jabs between them.

As the Covid-19 vaccination programme developed, these three mass vaccination sites, as well as many more sites across the region, have been pulling out all the stops to offer appointments and walk-in slots for first, second and booster jabs.

Regional Director of Commissioning at NHS England and Improvement and Senior Responsible Officer for the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme in the North West, Dr Linda Charles-Ozuzu, said mass vaccination sites have played a key role in the success of the region’s vaccination efforts.

She said: “Large scale vaccination sites across the region have helped enable us to vaccinate people quickly and efficiently. The NHS staff and volunteers supporting the vaccination programme at these sites have worked incredibly hard to jab more than 1.5 million people, protecting them from the virus.

“As we continue to fight the new Omicron variant of Covid-19, I’d like to encourage anyone who is eligible for the booster vaccine – three months after your second dose – to please come forward to make sure your protection is topped up.

“If you’re not yet vaccinated, it’s not too late to get your first dose. There are more than 300 sites across the region offering a mix of appointments and walk-in slots.”

As more people across the North West became eligible for the vaccine during 2021, more mass vaccination sites opened making it easy and convenient for people to protect themselves from the virus. Sites included Charter Walk Shopping Centre in Burnley, St John’s Shopping Centre in Preston, Lancaster Town Hall, Westmorland Shopping Centre in Kendal and GSK Sports Centre, Ulverston (now relocated to Gill Rise, Ulverston).

Chester Racecourse and Alderley Park Conference Centre in Cheshire also hosted vaccine clinics offering first and second doses to local people, but have since been replaced with a range of local general practice, pharmacy and roving vaccine clinics.

As well as mass vaccination sites, GPs, pharmacies, hospital hubs and pop-up sites have been vaccinating people across the region over the past year.

To book your Covid-19 vaccine, you can use the national booking service https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/, call 119 or find a walk in site here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/find-a-walk-in-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination-site/