A NEW vaccination centre has been described as being an 'important brick in the wall of defence' against the coronavirus pandemic.

The Columbine Centre, in Walton, is now being used by the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust to administer Covid-19 jabs.

It opened today and in addition to health care professionals Army and RAF personnel also helped with the immunisations.

Pam Sabine is the director at the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust and operational director of the coronavirus vaccine programme in the North East Essex.

She said the transformation of the entertainment venue into a vaccine hub would prove vital in the fight against Covid-19.

“It has been going really smoothly and it is a wonderful feeling when you see all the planning coming to fruition," she said.

“It just shows when you really want to do something you can do it and a lot of people have compared this to the war effort in some respects.

“Everyone is pulling together for the same purpose and that is a very humbling environment in which to work because you see people who are desperate to help.

“It is heart-warming and has been a terribly positive experience and something I am extremely proud to have been involved in as I know everybody is.

“This is a really important brick in the wall of defence against Covid-19.”

Maldon and Burnham Standard:

The Walton facility, which usually stages performances, opened as a vaccine hub earlier today and will hopefully administer as many as 530 doses a day.

“The national modelling works on a certain number of staff being able to deliver up to 530 vaccines a day," added Pam.

“In the other centres we have achieved that, but we are dependent on the supply of the vaccine. But when it is here, we will be open delivering vaccinations.”