COLCHESTER Hospital is set to be one of the first to roll out the Covid-19 vaccine as one of dozens of trusts to be named a vaccine hub.

The first doses of the approved Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine are due to arrive in the UK on Thursday as the country battles with logistical challenges in administering it to those at the top of the priority list.

The vaccine needs to be stored at -70C temperatures, far colder than typical jabs which only need to be kept at fridge temperatures of around 4C.

A total of 53 NHS hospital trusts in England are equipped with super-cold freezers that can store the vaccine

The hubs, which include Colchester Hospital, will offer the jabs to people in their area in order of priority, as well as co-ordinating distribution in their area.

The first to receive the virus will be people in care homes and their carers.

Nick Hulme, chief executive of East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said he is “thrilled” that the trust has been chosen as an “early adopter” of the vaccine.

“We are ready to go, finally some good news,” he added.

Amongst hundreds of responses to a Gazette poll, around 83 per cent of readers said they would be willing to get the vaccine.

Read more>>>POLL: Will you get the vaccine?

Many readers expressed bafflement that people would refuse the vaccine over safety fears.

One said: “It’s not just some random mixture of chemicals thrown together by people in a lab somewhere.

“Have you never had a flu jab or anything before? Did you know all of the ‘ingredients?’

“People don’t want to live in lockdown, but when we are seemingly given a route out of this mess, half of all people seem to actually want to refuse. The mind boggles.”

Another said: “Amazing that we live a country where we are being offered this amazing achievement for free and some are saying no. Unbelievable.”

Commenter Julian Boyden said: “Since having this awful virus back in April and being extremely ill, I can’t wait to get the vaccine.

“I will be at the front of the queue. in fact I have been on the register for trials of any new vaccine.”

But some said it is a matter of choice.

Dean Coulson said: “Yes I will get the vaccine, but we must respect people who don’t wish to do so.

“It is their human rights to choose.”

NHS is working closely with the regulator to find a way to administer the Pfizer vaccine in care homes.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman confirmed the first doses would be administered through 50 hospital hubs and would be given the NHS and care home staff and the over-80s.