On Monday, the government opened 10 new mass vaccination sites across England. One of them is in Essex, which has seen some of the highest infection rates in the country. The BBC joined two patients on their whistle-stop journeys through the vaccination centre.
image captionPatients over the age of 80 received their invitations to be vaccinated at the new centre in Runwell, Wickford over the weekend. The centre has been set up at the Essex Partnership University Trust headquarters building
image captionAmong those arriving to be vaccinated was Dennis Yeomans. The centre has a one-way system with volunteer stewards helping patients from arrival to departure
image captionAll patients are checked in, given hand sanitiser and then taken through to the consultation room for a brief chat about their health and what to expect with the vaccine
image captionTo speed up the process, medical staff prepare the vaccine shots for individual patients so they are ready to be given when they sit down
image captionThe Runwell vaccination centre distributed about 200 vaccines on its first day of opening. Within days, 520 vaccinations are expected to be administered daily to patients. Louise Hembrough (pictured with the vaccine) said the centre would vaccinate thousands of people each week
image captionMr Yeomans said the vaccine was painless and was a little surprised to be offered a sticker by the nurse after receiving the injection
image captionAlso receiving her first dose on Monday was 90-year-old Janet Marriage
image caption"Oh, I'm quite happy to have it in either arm," Mrs Marriage told the nurse.
image captionWithin five minutes, Mrs Marriage was on her way out of the centre. "Now comes the hard part," she said. "I've got to try and find my son in the car park"