Reading faces a wait for its own mass vaccination site, with similar sites having already been set up in Newbury, Oxford, and Slough.

In Reading, there are five community sites where people can get vaccinated, covering the six primary care networks of GPs in the town.

Vaccines are also being administered at Royal Berkshire Hospital and Wokingham Hospital.

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But David Munday, Reading Borough Council’s (RBC) public health consultant, said the town is likely to have to wait until the end of February or early March.

He said a mass vaccine site in the town will become most useful when we go down further through the age groups.

Last week, councillor Graeme Hoskin, lead member for Health at RBC, said a mass vaccination site in Reading would be set up “in the coming weeks”.

READ MORE: Reading to get mass vaccination centre ‘in coming weeks’

Currently the vaccine is available to over 80s, NHS and social care staff and those in care homes, with over 70s and the clinically extremely vulnerable to soon be offered the vaccine.

Mr Munday said vaccination in Reading has got off to a good start, with the GP sites having been set up “swiftly” and having the capacity to use all the full supply of vaccines.

He said: “I think rollout in Reading is going well.”

David Munday

David Munday

In terms of uptake of the vaccine, Mr Munday says statistics have not yet been released to him but “there has been quite a high acceptance when you talk to primary care colleagues and look at the numbers that have walked through the door”.

According to reports yesterday, 78.7 per cent of over 80s in the UK have received a Covid vaccine.

He added: “We are seeing good interest, which is heartening, but I would like to see that in black and white.

“Uptake often follows a social grading and ethnicity grading. We need to understand what is happening.”