Eight coronavirus vaccination centres to open in Aberdeenshire

Plans for coronavirus vaccination centres across Aberdeenshire are being finalised.

NHS Grampian and Aberdeen Health and Social Care Partnership will be operating the centres in Macduff, Fraserburgh, Peterhead, Ellon, Inverurie, Huntly, Alford, Banchory and Stonehaven.

The clinics in Huntly and Alford will rotate week by week, with all others operating every week. In addition, work is ongoing to secure a mobile unit, to take vaccinations to some of the most rural communities.

Appointments are already being scheduled for all centres, and people in the 75-79 age bracket should start to receive their appointment letters in the coming days.

Angie Wood, interim chief officer for Aberdeenshire Health & Social Care Partnership, said: "The roll-out of this vaccine will be one of the biggest undertakings that we have ever delivered. We have sought, when choosing the locations of our venues to, as far as possible, ensure that every clinic will be within roughly 10-mile drive.

"The rural geography of Aberdeenshire means that we will have eight full-time mass vaccination clinics which will be supported by a mobile vaccination unit as well.

"We have also undertaken a huge recruitment drive and I am happy to say that we have been able to supplement our teams and that we are in good shape to start welcoming the over-75s in the very near future."