BASINGSTOKE residents aged 50 or over are being urged to book a Covid jab.

Solent NHS Trust, who run the mass clinic at Basingstoke fire station, are now encouraging anyone over the age of 50 to get in touch to book a jab.

Letters and texts are currently being sent out to people across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight between the ages of 50 and 54, group nine on the JCVI's priority list.

Additionally, they are asking anyone at a higher risk from coronavirus, eligible frontline health and social care workers, people with learning disabilities or a main carer for someone at high risk from Covid to book an appointment.

Appointments are available at the fire station, or one of the Trust's other mass vaccination centres in Portsmouth, Newport and Southampton, between 8am and 8pm, seven days a week.

Angela Anderson, Clinical Director for the COVID-19 vaccination programme at Solent NHS Trust, said: “It has been fantastic seeing everyone coming through the doors of our vaccination centres since we opened.

"Staff and volunteers at the centres have been doing brilliant work supporting residents receiving their first doses, and people’s reactions to being vaccinated have been wonderful to see.

“We are encouraging eligible people to book their vaccination online using the national booking system, or to call 119 if they are unable to use the internet.

"Anyone aged 50 and over who has not yet been vaccinated can now come forward.

"We have appointments available 7 days a week, between 8am and 8pm and they can choose the centre which best suits them.”

Next month, staff will focus on vaccinating those in groups 1 to 9, as well as administering second doses, as national supply reduces.

You can book a slot by going to nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/ or calling 119.