NHS Lothian opens new drive through vaccine centre at East Lothian university 

NHS Lothian opens new drive through vaccine centre at East Lothian university 

The new drive through mass vaccination centre, is a first for the county and has been set up in the car park of Queen Margaret University (QMU). 

Teams of vaccinators will be able to deliver the life-saving vaccinations to patients while they remain in their own car.

The centre at QMU is capable of vaccinating around 720 people every day at 12 stations, seven days a week.

A retired home help was among the first people in Lothian to receive a COVID-19 vaccine via a drive through mass centre, which has opened today at Queen Margaret University (QMU) in East Lothian.

Mary Foster of Musselburgh was one of the first to be given the vaccine upon the opening of the site.

Mrs Foster said: “I think this is great, I’m really excited and I think people who don’t want to be vaccinated should think again.”

On Monday February 15, two new vaccination centres will also be created at Edinburgh Park in the former Royal Bank of Scotland building and Pyramids Business Park in West Lothian.  

Smaller community clinics will deliver vaccinations in the local area for people with complex needs or who, for other reasons, absolutely cannot and would not be expected to travel to a mass centre.

QMU is the fourth mass vaccination centre to open in Lothian, following the EICC, Strathbrock Health Centre and the Royal Highland Centre.

Pat Wynne, Director of Nursing for Primary and Community Care, NHS Lothian, said: “The opening of our only drive through mass vaccination centre is a big day for both NHS Lothian and for East Lothian. It is a unique site for us and it will allow us to deliver more vaccines to the people we serve.

“A significant amount of effort has gone into the preparation of the QMU site to ensure that the drive through will run as quickly and smoothly as possible. I am extremely proud of the work undertaken 

Mr Wynne added: “We are now moving through our vaccination programme at pace. When you do receive an appointment, we would urge you to keep it, even if it is at a centre that seems far away from your home.

“In order for the programme to be successful we need to vaccinate as many people as possible and the easiest way to do that is for people to keep their original appointment.

“Our advice is straight forward – if we wish our lives to return to normal we need to vaccinate as many people as possible.  This will help save lives and provide protection to all our communities across Lothian.”

NHS Lothian has been working with councils, health and social care partnerships and other partners in recent weeks to deliver our mass vaccination programme.