The vaccination centre at P&J Live in Aberdeen will close this weekend as a new one opens in the city centre.
More than 210,000 Covid jabs have been issued at the P&J Live since February 1.
Now that the main bulk of vaccinations have been completed, the centre is moving to its new home in the former John Lewis building, and will open on September 13.
The new base, which will be known as Aberdeen City Vaccination Centre, will not only administer coronavirus vaccines, but flu jabs and other regular immunisations.
GPs will no longer be responsible for administering these vaccines, instead they will be in the hands of Health & Social Care Partnerships across the country.
Sandy Reid, Aberdeen City lead for the Covid-19 vaccination programme, feels the team are ready for their move.
He said: “Since the mass vaccination centre opened on February 1, we have logged more than 210,000 appointments.
“That has been a massive undertaking and could not have happened without a huge effort from teams working right across health and social care – or the willingness of the general public to roll up their sleeves.
“P&J Live has been a fantastic home for us and I know many of the team will have mixed emotions as we prepare to leave. However, we are excited for what the future will hold in our new location.”
Drop-in before Sunday
Mr Reid advised that people should plan in advance when it comes to getting their vaccine over the next couple of weeks, as it won’t be as easy once the move gets under way.
He said: “Moving to new premises is a big job and as such it will be all hands on deck. This means the community clinics will be operating at a reduced capacity from September 6.
“My message to anyone in Aberdeen still to get their first dose of Covid-19 vaccination is drop-in to P&J Live before Sunday. We expect the Aberdeen City Vaccination Centre to be ready to open from September 13.”
P&J Live will be giving out vaccines until 4pm on Sunday.
In the time between the closure of the clinic at P&J Live and the opening of the new centres, Aberdeen locals can attend drop-in clinics that will be operating across the region.
Welcoming back P&J Live
Nick Waight, managing director from P&J Live, is looking forward to restoring the venue to its former event holding glory now that restrictions allow it to do so.
He said: “We have been extremely grateful to have had the vaccine centre housed within our venue for the past seven months.
“Not only has it allowed us to continue to operate, somewhat in a different capacity, but it has also given our own staff with the opportunity to provide tangible support to the NHS, working as stewards around the venue. I know many of them have formed strong bonds and friendships with the NHS staff during their time here.
“However, it is now time for us to get back to what we’re best at – hosting live entertainment and business events. We can’t wait to welcome visitors back to our incredible venue when we reopen later this month.”