Lancaster University has agreed to host the city's first vaccination centre as part of the national fight against the COVID-19 virus.
The University's new Health Innovation Campus is providing a state-of-the art environment where Lancaster Medical Practice and Queen Square Medical Practice will roll out a major programme to vaccinate patients between December and May.
To begin with, 975 patients aged over 80 will this week receive their initial vaccination at the University - with second doses booked in for the new year, when the programme will widen to include other age and priority groups.
Lancaster University has been at the forefront of the battle against COVID throughout 2020. Its sports hall is being used as a major COVID-19 testing centre for the region and staff and student volunteers recently delivered a major pre-Christmas testing programme for all students travelling home for the festive period. In January, the University will relaunch its testing programme for returning students.
Vice Chancellor Andy Schofield said: "As a civic university and an anchor institution in the Lancashire and South Cumbria region, we are proud to be able to offer our campus up as a centre for delivering this vital vaccination programme.
"This could be one of the most important initiatives in our lifetime and will hopefully help bring an end to the COVID-19 pandemic and enable the region to begin to get back to some degree of normalcy.
"The Health Innovation Campus is the perfect site for delivering a vaccine which has come about as a result of some of the world's foremost scientists coming together to develop a crucial solution to a specific global challenge.
"This agreement has come about due to the strong partnership between the university and Lancaster Medical Practice, a relationship which will further develop and grow by partnering on this vital project.
