Edinburgh drive-in centres to help deliver flu vaccine

Image source, Jane Barlow/PA Media

People eligible for the flu vaccination are to be offered appointments at new drive-through centres in Edinburgh.

The centres have opened as a direct response to the Covid-19 crisis. Walk-in clinics will be available for those without a car.

They should be able to vaccinate up to 500 people each day. They will operate every weekend until December.

Interim deputy chief medical officer Dr Nicola Steedman has urged people to ensure they get the flu jab.

She said it could avoid the risk of contracting coronavirus and flu at the same time, which she described as "extremely serious".

The Edinburgh centres have been set up by the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership (EHSCP).

Its chief officer Judith Proctor said: "This is the first time a drive-through model has been used for vaccinations in Scotland, and could provide a blueprint for how to deliver vaccination programmes successfully in the future.

"Details of where people can go to receive a flu vaccine will be available on the NHS Inform website."