AN OXFORDSHIRE pharmacy opened as a Covid vaccination centre yesterday.

The LloydsPharmacy in Carterton is one of the first in the pharmacy chain to administer the vaccines.

Pharmacists at the Burford Road store will be giving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in their private consultation room by appointment only.

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Karen Bailey, site manager at LloydsPharmacy in Carterton, said: “It’s such a privilege to be contributing to the national effort and to be a part of the solution to this pandemic.

“Our pharmacy is in the heart of the town and embedded in the local community.

“We already deliver flu vaccines to a lot of the residents so I think having a familiar face administer their Covid vaccine, in a trusted healthcare setting, will make a big difference to patients, especially those who are perhaps nervous about travelling to larger vaccination sites that they’ve not been to before.

“By being conveniently located and accessible, we really hope we will be able to help more people come forward to get the jab.

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“It’s been a busy couple of weeks getting the pharmacy ready for the launch but the whole team is excited.

“The light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer and we’re so proud to be helping to protect local residents from this virus so we can all get back to seeing the people we love and doing the things we miss the most.”

Those in priority groups can book their vaccines via the NHS booking system.

The site is already fully booked for the first two weeks.