The hospitals trust serving the Maldon district has announced that its first Covid vaccine hub is at Basildon Hospital - and jabs for the over-80s are starting tomorrow (Tuesday, 8 December).

A news release on the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which includes all hospitals in the area, states: "From Tuesday 8 December, we will begin offering Covid vaccinations at our hub at Basildon Hospital as part of the NHS vaccination programme.

"The first cohort of people who are eligible for the vaccine are those aged 80 or over, who we are contacting via text message.

"Those aged 80 or over can book online through the link provided within the text message, or by calling our dedicated booking line on 0333 0153 478."

However, the very first over-80s to be offered the vaccine will be those who are already attending hospital as an outpatient, and those who are being discharged home after a hospital stay. Others will be called forward in due course.

Priority will also be given in the coming days and weeks to care home staff and residents - though arranging vaccination of care home residents is presenting a challenge and may take a little longer, due to the extremely cold conditions the Pfizer vaccine needs to be stored at. High-risk NHS workers will also be among the first to be offered the jab.

Across the UK, GPs and other primary care staff are also being put on standby to start delivering the vaccine from the week beginning 14 December, with more practices in more parts of the country joining in on a phased basis during December and in the coming months. There is as yet no information on whether any of these first-phase GP surgeries are in the Maldon district.

The first shot of the jab needs to be followed up by a booster jab 21 days later.

Vaccination centres treating large numbers of patients in sporting venues and conference centres will be put in place when further supplies of vaccine come on stream.

Professor Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: "Despite the huge complexities, hospitals will kickstart the first phase of the largest scale vaccination campaign in our country's history from Tuesday. The first tranche of vaccine deliveries will be landing at hospitals by Monday in readiness.

"The NHS has a strong record of delivering large scale vaccination programmes – from the flu jab, HPV vaccine and lifesaving MMR jabs – hardworking staff will once again rise to the challenge to protect the most vulnerable people from this awful disease."

"The life-saving vaccine is typically delivered by a simple injection in the shoulder but there is a complex and difficult logistical challenge to deliver from the manufacturers Pfizer to patients.

"It needs to be stored at -70C before being thawed out and can only be moved four times within that cold chain before being used.

"NHS staff have been working over the weekend to prepare the sites and accept deliveries."