Edinburgh residents are the first in Scotland to use new vaccine drive-through centres set up across the city.

Up to 500 people can be vaccinated each day at the new clinics and everyone entitled to a free flu vaccine from one household can attend the clinics together.

Individuals will not have to leave their car to get the jab and will only need to wait for 15 minutes before leaving to make sure there is no reaction to the vaccine.

The centres will operate on weekends in October and November.

Around 120,000 adults in Edinburgh can get a free flu vaccine this year as unpaid carers and those who lived with people who shielded during lockdown are added to the list of eligible Scots.

A number of walk-through clinics are also being arranged and Edinburgh locations are expected to be made available on the NHS Inform website soon.

Judith Proctor, Chief Officer for the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership, said:

“As part of our mission to support a caring, healthier and safer Edinburgh, we’re committed to making it even easier to get a flu vaccine this year. The flu vaccine is an important health protection measure and we want to make sure that everyone who is eligible has access to the vaccine.

“To keep the people of Edinburgh safe, and to respect physical distancing measures, we have confirmed a range of Edinburgh venues to offer access to the flu vaccine, including a drive through service at sites across the city.

“This is the first time a drive through model has been used for vaccinations in Scotland, and could provide a blueprint for how to deliver vaccination programmes successfully in the future.

Those eligible for a free flu vaccine or those seeking more information can head to www.nhsinform.scot/flu to find out more or including where to get their jab in Edinburgh.

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