Kingston's first large Covid-19 vaccination centre will open later this month as the borough attempts to ramp up community protection against the virus.

Vaccinations are already being administered at Kingston Hospital and smaller surgeries in the borough but there is not yet a large, dedicated vaccination centre.

That will change "by the end of January 2021" Kingston Council (RBK) have confirmed as they announced the the Hawks Road NHS site in Norbiton will become the first centre of its size transformed into a place dedicated to giving vaccinations to borough residents who are offered the jab. 

Dr Nazim Jivani, a GP and Clinical Lead for Kingston Borough, said NHS workers and volunteers had done an "amazing job" preparing for the mass vaccination in Kingston as he urged residents who received the call up for the vaccine to get the jab. 

"Our teams have done an amazing job working quickly to get ready to meet the tough logistical challenges of offering the vaccinations, and we are immensely grateful for the support from Kingston Council and all the staff at the Hawks Road site," he said.

"The coronavirus vaccines are safe and effective, and will offer people a vital defence against the virus, but we can’t be complacent, it is still so important that people continue to follow government guidance and keep their distance.

"The NHS will invite eligible people for the vaccine at a set time to ensure those most at risk are prioritised, it is important not to contact your GP for a vaccination before then."

Official advice accompanying the news of the Hawks Road site being prepared broke urged Kingstonians to turn up only once they had received the letter from the NHS or their GP confirming the offer of the vaccine (and once they had booked a time slot) after images of long queues at other vaccination centres in London circulated online.

RBK's Director of Public Health Iona Lidington called the news of the new vaccination centre "very welcome news" as she urged everyone to make sure they were registered with a GP so they would not miss out on a jab.

"With our local NHS under immense pressure, if we all take personal responsibility and play our part by having the vaccine when it is offered to us, we can all look forward to a brighter, safer and more secure future," she said.

The government previously expressed their desire to vaccinate most of the people most vulnerable to Covid-19, including those over 70, by the Spring, and said recently they would offer a coronavirus vaccination to all adults from September.

Infection rates at present remain high in Kingston and across London.

According to Public Health England (PHE), there were 921 new cases of Covid-19 in the seven days up to January 12 in Kingston Borough. That represented a drop of 489 or 34.7 per cent down from the preceding seven-day period, suggesting the ongoing lockdown was having an effect on suppressing the virus.