Maldon District Council's offices in Princes Road will go live as a Covid vaccination centre today (Friday, 18 December).

The building has been undergoing extensive preparations in recent days to help facilitate the biggest-ever NHS vaccine rollout the country has ever seen.

The offices will be the vaccine centre for Blackwater Medical Centre, Longfield Medical Centre and Tollesbury Surgery.

Councillor Wendy Stamp, Leader of Maldon District Council, welcomed the chance for the authority to play a key part in supporting the vaccination programme and saving lives.

She said: "I believe it is important that as community leaders, we do everything we can to support our residents and to help the NHS to save lives and eradicate this dreadful virus.

"We have therefore agreed with our NHS partners to make the council offices available as a Local Vaccination Centre, to support the NHS in delivering the vital Covid-19 vaccination.

"In line with national arrangements and priorities the vaccinations will be offered on a strict appointment only basis.

"It is clear that we will be living with Covid-19 for some time, but this vaccine gives real hope and will enable us to get back to whatever normal will look like, and save lives.

"I am pleased that the council is able to assist the NHS in this vital vaccination programme."

The vaccine hub is one of a series opening today, run by family doctors and their teams, across mid and south Essex.

The others are:

•Audley Mills Surgery, Rayleigh

•The Valkyrie Surgery, Westcliff-On-Sea

•The Nevendon Centre, Wickford

These are in addition to centres that have already opened earlier this week in Danbury, Brentwood, Rochford, Leigh-On-Sea and Grays.

Nurses, paramedics, pharmacists and other NHS staff will work alongside GPs to vaccinate those aged 80 and over, as well as care home workers and other health care workers, identified as priority groups for the vaccine.

Residents of care homes will also receive their first vaccine shortly after distributors finalise processes to ensure safe delivery of the PfizerBioNTech vaccine.

The local NHS will contact people in the priority groups when it is their turn to receive the vaccine and local residents are being asked not to contact their practice enquiring about vaccination.