EICC to reopen as mass vaccine centre on Tuesday

The conference centre will offer booked and drop-in appointments.

The mass centre will open on Tuesday (Leon Neal/PA) (PA Wire)

The Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) will reopen as a mass vaccination centre on Tuesday next week, NHS Lothian has said.

The venue will return to being a vaccine hub as booster shots are rolled out across Scotland to tackle the Omicron variant.

Hampden Park stadium in Glasgow is also expected to become a mass vaccination centre as part of efforts to reach nearly 80,000 vaccinations each day.

One of the EICC’s halls will host vaccinations while the rest of the facility continues as a conference centre.

It re-opened for events in August after being used as a vaccine hub for an earlier phase of the rollout.

Booster shots are being rolled out amid the spread of the Omicron variant (Leon Neal/PA) (PA Wire)

The EICC will offer booked and drop-in appointments.

Pat Wynne, nurse director at NHS Lothian, said: “Vaccination is more important now than it has ever been and we are really pleased to be back in the EICC in the heart of the city once more.

“We would urge anyone who still needs a first, second or booster dose of the vaccine to make an appointment or drop in to the EICC or one of the many other clinics in Lothian as soon as they are eligible.

“The best way to get your vaccine is to book in advance, using the online booking portal.

“That way you can avoid queues and help keep everyone safe.”

Those who use the drop-in service are likely to face queues.

Marshall Dallas, chief executive of the EICC, said: “We are proud to continue to support NHS Lothian and NHS Scotland with the rollout of the vaccine and now the vaccine booster.

“Traditionally, our venue would be closed over the festive period, allowing our team annual leave during this time, so I can’t credit our people enough for giving up their holiday time to be on site at the venue to make this possible.”