Portsmouth pharmacy Lalys reaches 1,500-vaccination milestone after joining country's Covid-19 inoculation drive

Lalys in Guildhall Walk, Portsmouth, was the first of four in the area to start giving out the vaccine two weeks ago after applying a month before.

So far staff and volunteers, including veterans and customers, have organised and given out more than 1,500 vaccinations from rooms at the back of the branch that are usually used by the University of Portsmouth.

Co-owner Pushpinder Laly said: ‘We are so pleased that we can help in the Covid-19 vaccination drive and our staff have been amazing and so dedicated to delivering the service.

‘We have had so many volunteers and the veterans, particularly, have been amazing. They did a great job in their careers protecting us and now they are helping people to be protected as well.’

Across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, 376,917 first doses have been dished out – including 94.5 per cent of over-80s.

Nearly all of 75 to 79-year-olds have received their first jab while 69.2 per cent of 70 to 74-year-olds have also had their first dose.

The News previously reported that GPs were feeling ‘frustrations’ around supply and delivery of vaccines.

Mrs Laly said: ‘We have two vaccination stations at the moment but if we had more supply then we could do more.

‘I do think though that we are very lucky to live in country where we have the vaccine and everyone has done a really good job in making the roll out as smooth as possible.’

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The service at Lalys runs from Monday to Sunday and people invited to have their jab can book in via nhs.uk/covid-vaccination or by calling 119.

Fourteen vaccination centres are now live across the area, as well as the mass centre at St James’ Hospital in Milton and the hub at Queen Alexandra Hospital.

This is backed up by Greywell Pharmacy in Leigh Park, Village Pharmacy in Stubbington and Goldchem Pharmacy in Southsea.

It comes after The News and its sister titles called on the government to utilise the network of pharmacies around the country to speed up the roll out of the Covid-19 vaccine.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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