BIRMINGHAM’S Millennium Point has opened its doors as an NHS Vaccination Centre – providing potentially life-saving jabs for pensioners and medics.
It is one of seven UK sites where tens of thousands of covid-19 vaccines will be delivered each week, which will be overseen by the NHS Trusts in Solihull and Birmingham.
The first in line for the injections at Millennium Point will be people aged 80, along with health and care staff.
It will be run on a strictly appointment only basis, with the NHS contacting people directly to book their appointments.
Letters are being sent out inviting people to book an appointment who live within a 30 to 45 minute drive from Millennium Point, including residents in Solihull, Coventry and Warwickshire to attend.
Abbie Vlahakis, chief executive at Millennium Point, said: “We are very proud to be able to support NHS staff in delivering the Covid-19 vaccination programme in Birmingham.
“We are working closely with the NHS in Birmingham and Solihull, partners, staff and volunteers, to provide a crucial service to thousands of people across the region.
“We would like to thank everyone in advance for supporting us and the NHS to ensure that the centre can operate as efficiently as possible.
“Covid-19 has had a devastating impact on lives and livelihoods in Birmingham and the opening of this mass vaccination centre represents a vital next step in the region’s recovery from the pandemic. We are delighted that Millennium Point can play its part in making this happen.”
As part of its support for the vaccine centre, Birmingham City Council has gifted use of the multi-storey car park based on Jennens Road, to enable NHS patients attending their vaccination appointments to park free of charge.
Millennium Point is also easily accessible on foot from New Street, Moor Street and Snow Hill Stations is well served by local bus routes and is a 10-minute walk from the city centre.
The six other Vaccination Centres opening this week are:
• Excel Centre in London
• Ashton Gate in Bristol
• Epsom racecourse in Surrey
• Robertson House in Stevenage
• Etihad Tennis Club in Manchester
• The Centre for Life in Newcastle upon Tyne
The initial sites were chosen from those ready to vaccinate large numbers of people quickly to give a geographical spread covering as many people as possible.
