Leeds United's Elland Road site to be transformed into a large Covid vaccination centre

Leeds United has agreed for the site to be used as part of the West Yorkshire rollout of the new Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.

Security guards were positioned outside the Centenary Pavilion today as work is expected to begin to prepare the site in the coming weeks.

It's one of four large vaccination sites being set up in West Yorkshire, with Jacob’s Well in Bradford, The John Smith’s Stadium in Huddersfield and Spectrum Community Healthcare CIC at Navigation Walk in Wakefield also confirmed as vaccination centres.

Leeds United said it was "delighted" to host the centre at Elland Road.

In a tweet, the club said: "LUFC are delighted to be part of #LeedsMakingHistory and host a vaccination centre at Elland Road.

"The NHS will contact you when it’s your turn to get vaccinated."

The Elland Road vaccination centre is not due to open for several weeks and all vaccines are administered by appointment only.

Anyone eligible for the vaccine will be contacted by the their GP surgery and people should only attend vaccination centres when they have booked an appointment through a national booking system.

The Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine was trialled at hospitals in England last week, before being sent out to hundreds of community-based local vaccination services.

GPs in Leeds are working to provide vaccinations to as many care home residents and patients aged 80 as possible.

In West Yorkshire, 44 primary care networks are now providing vaccinations from centres with the final four expected to start next week.

The Oxford vaccine does not need to be stored at ultra-low temperatures and is much easier to move so is easier to use in care homes and will mean GPs can now start vaccinating housebound patients.

In the coming weeks, the first community pharmacies in Leeds will start to offer vaccinations, as well as the four large vaccination centres being set up across West Yorkshire.

Dr Phil Wood, Chief Medical Officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and lead for the West Yorkshire Covid-19 Vaccination Programme said: “It is great news that we will be able to protect more vulnerable people.

"We are working with partners across West Yorkshire to make sure people can get their first vaccination as quickly and easily as possible and are ready to expand the rollout as fast as supplies become available.

“GPs, nurses, pharmacists and countless other staff, partners and volunteers are working around the clock to provide vaccinations.

"We know people are eager to get protected and may be concerned if they are in one of the priority cohorts and have not been contacted yet.

"However, we would like to reassure them that they will be contacted over the next few weeks.

“Services are extremely busy at the moment and we would ask people to help the NHS at this very difficult time by not contacting their local GP or other NHS services about getting a vaccination.

"People will not be able to book an appointment until they have been invited to do so, so please be patient and we will contact you as soon as it is your turn.”

Volunteers and paid staff are being recruited by the NHS in Leeds as it works to build the capacity needed for scaling up the programme.

An appeal has been made for people to take on immuniser, healthcare assistant, vaccine admin support, ushering and patient flow, and front of house roles.

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