Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust has today been announced as the first site in the Black Country and West Birmingham to start administering the COVID-19 vaccination. The Trust expects to begin vaccine administration within the next week.

The order in which people will receive the vaccine is decided by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and they have advised that age is the single greatest risk of mortality from COVID-19. After over 80+ year olds, care home staff and priority healthcare staff will be amongst the first to be vaccinated.

Richard Beeken, Chief Executive of Walsall Healthcare said “I am immensely proud of our organisation and the way it has battled against with the COVID 19 pandemic this year and more latterly the preparation of our organisation to support the roll-out of the vaccine.

As a named Hospital Hub we are delighted to play a major part in the largest ever vaccination programme the world has ever seen.  Our team has worked around the clock on this enormous logistical challenge and I would like to thank everyone involved for their contribution.

We are working with partners to ensure that we can vaccinate those with most need first. I would like to remind people that they should not come to the hospital for a vaccine; we will contact people to arrange an appointment when they need to attend.”