Pharmacy Covid vaccine: full list of high street branches in England offering jab - including Boots and Superdrug

A Boots store in Yorkshire was the first in England to offer the coronavirus vaccine
Six pharmacies in England are offering the coronavirus vaccine, including one Boots (Getty Images)Six pharmacies in England are offering the coronavirus vaccine, including one Boots (Getty Images)
Six pharmacies in England are offering the coronavirus vaccine, including one Boots (Getty Images)

Boots and Superdrug branches are now offering the Covid-19 vaccine as part of the race to immunise the nation.

The Boots in Halifax was among the six high street pharmacies that started administering the jab in England on Thursday 14 January.

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The chemists were chosen to inoculate people aged 80 and over and health and social care workers to assist with the UK Government’s hefty vaccination targets.

It comes as Boris Johnson said vaccines would soon be offered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Here’s everything you need to know about the high street pharmacies offering the jab in England - and if more will open for vaccinations soon.

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This Boots store in Yorkshire will be the first in England to offer the Covid-19...

Which high street pharmacies are giving out jabs?

Currently, only six pharmacies in England are offering the coronavirus vaccine.

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They were chosen because of their space, which allows for social distancing, and because of their ability to administer large numbers of jabs to patients.

The locations are:

Boots, Halifax

Andrews Pharmacy, Macclesfield

Superdrug Pharmacy, Guildford

Cullimore Chemist in Edgware, north London

Woodside Pharmacy, Telford

Appleton Village pharmacy, Widnes

Boots has started specialist training with pharmacists to inoculate patients with the Covid-19 vaccine.

Managing director, Seb James, said: "As we begin vaccinations at our Halifax pharmacy today, we are incredibly proud to support the NHS during this extraordinary time.

"Like with Covid-19 testing, we believe Boots can play a key role in the vaccination programme - our pharmacists are experts in vaccination programmes and have a trusted role at the heart of our local communities.

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"Pharmacies are extremely well placed to support the roll out of this vaccine quickly and safely, and we stand ready to do much more.

"We stand ready to do more to support the NHS and the government to accelerate its roll-out."

Asda has also joined in the vaccination programme, with one of its supermarkets in Birmingham set to offer jabs from 25 January.

Thought to be the first vaccine hub inside a supermarket in England, qualified pharmacy staff will give the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to priority groups.

Will there be more high street vaccine sites?

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Alongside the six high street branches already administering jabs, up to 70 more pharmacies will start to take bookings from next week, according to the NHS.

More than 200 community chemists are set to offer vaccines at the end of January while more doses arrive in the UK.

The National Pharmacy Association has urged for the rules on which pharmacies qualify to administer jabs to be relaxed, so more of them can take part in the programme.

Currently, pharmacies must have large enough fridge space to store all the doses, they must have the capacity to deliver 1,000 vaccines a week, and they must be able to open seven days a week.

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Andrew Lane, of the National Pharmacy Association, said pharmacies could store and administer the Oxford vaccine in the same way they give out the flu jab, since it only needs to be stored at fridge temperature.

NHS England has said that as more doses of the jab are available, more community pharmacists will be able to start inoculating people.

What are the vaccination targets?

The UK Government’s target is to vaccinate 15 million people from the top four priority groups by mid February.

This includes care home residents and workers, NHS frontline staff, the over-70s and the extremely clinically vulnerable.

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At the time of writing, more than 2.6 million people in the UK have received their first vaccine dose.

Where else are vaccines being administered?

The vaccines are being administered at hospitals, care homes, GP surgeries and mass vaccination centres across the country.

That includes 200 hospitals, 800 GP-led services and the seven new mass vaccination centres in each English region that opened on Monday 11 January.

How can I book the vaccine?

You will be invited by letter to get your vaccine, and once you have received it you can book your appointment using the NHS vaccination booking service.

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There, you will have a choice between travelling to a vaccination centre or a pharmacy for the jab.

The booking service will ask for your NHS number - the 10 digit number you will find on the letter you received inviting you to book your jab - but if you do not know it you are still able to secure a date.

Not everyone can book a vaccine online and you should only use the tool if you have received a letter from the health service inviting you to book your vaccine appointments.

At the moment, letters are only being sent out to those who are aged 80 or over in accordance with the vaccine priority list.

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Letters are being sent out each week by the NHS, so you should not worry if you’ve not received one yet.

Anyone who can’t travel to a vaccination hub or pharmacy can be vaccinated by their local GP or hospital - but you may have to wait longer.