Covid: Reading vaccine site opens at Madejski Stadium

Reading FC's Madejski Stadium has opened as an NHS mass vaccination centre.

The stadium will be used by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust to deliver 3,000 Covid vaccines a day.

It is Reading's first mass vaccination site, and the second in Berkshire.

The stadium joins Oxford United's Kassam and other football grounds that make up part of the 1,500 NHS vaccination sites in England.

Currently the vaccine is being offered to those aged 65 and over and other eligible groups, in line with the government's prioritisation list.

People who have received a letter can book online or by phone to get an appointment at the stadium.

Royals fan Michael Hinton, aged 69 and from Woodley, was the first to be vaccinated at the site. He said: "It's brilliant because before we were going to Marlow."

Dr Abid Irfan, from Berkshire West Clinical Commissioning Group, said the site would allow GP surgeries to devote more time to other healthcare needs of patients.

Speaking to the BBC, clinical operations director John Fletcher said some people had been anxious about having the vaccine, but they were on hand to reassure them.

He said: "Obviously some people are just not quite sure about whether it's the right thing for them so we're here to talk them through that and explain to them what it is.

"The vaccine is there to protect them and society, and let us start to get back to normal."

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