THE Government has revealed the locations of its Covid-19 vaccine hubs, as the roll out is expected to begin next week after the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was approved this week.

More than 50 hubs will be set up across the country at NHS trusts, but Herefordshire's Wye Valley NHS Trust is not in the list released by the Government.

While public health chiefs say the hubs will allow an easy way for people to get the vaccine at a centralised location to protect people from coronvirus, which has killed almost 60,000 in the UK since March, people from Hereford may face a 30-mile trip to Worcester.

The nearest hub for people from Herefordshire to visit will be at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

The other nearest hubs are in Shropshire and Gloucestershire.

Hereford Times: Covid-19 vaccine: delivery hubs in England. Picture: PACovid-19 vaccine: delivery hubs in England. Picture: PA

Those in care homes and aged 80 and over are expected to be at the front of the queue, potentially being vaccinated this month, and care home workers and health and social care staff are also a priority, because they could transmit the virus to vulnerable patients.

Downing Street has said the NHS is working closely with the regulator to find a way to administer the Pfizer vaccine in care homes.

But there are hurdles to overcome.

As the vaccine needs to be stored at an ultra low temperature of between minus 70C and minus 80C, it will only be at 50 hospital hubs initially.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman confirmed the first doses would be administered through 50 hospital hubs and would be given the NHS and care home staff and the over-80s.

Dr Frank Atherton, chief medical officer for Wales, said the issues in transporting the Pfizer vaccine meant people would have to travel to a central hub to receive their jab.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "At the moment, the idea is that people will come to get the vaccine.

"We are concerned, of course, about particularly frail, elderly people living in care homes – they are a very clear priority for us here in Wales – and we're trying to find ways to get the vaccine to the people, but at the moment that's the model, that people will be moving towards."

NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said: "This is an important next step in our response to the coronavirus pandemic and hospitals will shortly kick off the first phase of the largest scale vaccination campaign in our country's history.

"The NHS has a proven track record of delivering large scale vaccinations from the winter flu jab to BCG and, once the final hurdles are cleared and the vaccine arrives in England's hospitals, health service staff will begin offering people this ground-breaking jab in a programme that will expand to cover the whole country in the coming months."