A REGIONAL centre will be set up in Bournemouth as part of efforts to distribute the coronavirus vaccines.

The Bournemouth International Centre (Bic) has been booked by health leaders who decided against the alternative of the Pavilion which would have had a more limited capacity.

The NHS-led programme is being organised in preparation for the potential availability of an approved vaccine in the coming weeks and to meet a requirement that systems be in place to adminster it by the beginning of the month.

Doses are expected to begin to be delivered within the next week although only in "limited" numbers, with older care home residents, care home workers, those who are housebound and prisons due to be prioritised.

Widespread roll-out to the remaining high risk groups is expected in early 2021 with the use of mass vaccination hubs, including a regional centre at the Bic, and mobile sites across the rest of the county.

This has been confirmed by Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood who said Dorset Police would be involved in supporting the logistics of the work.

"On a regional basis, Bournemouth has been selected as a regional hub for this quadrant of the south of England," he said. "I have pushed for this for a long time.

"Meetings are being organised and things are being prepared but I am still looking on the flip side of this at the trustworthiness of the vaccines themselves.

"However, this is good news. At the end of what will be a tough winter, there is light at the end of the tunnel."

Plans have been put together by the county's NHS trusts in coordination with other bodies, including councils.

It has been agreed to set up a main vaccination hub at the Bic and that this will be supported by mobile sites provided across the rest of the county once larger quantities of doses become available.

Difficulties in meeting the -70C storage temperature required for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which has been approved for use in the UK "from next week", will mean Dorset County Hospital (DCH) will be used as a main distribution hub.

Alongside this, Dorset HealthCare will lead work to carry out the vaccinations while University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) will be responsible for managing supplies and IT systems.

These arrangements were confirmed in reports published ahead of last week's UHD and DCH board meetings.

"Due to the complexities of the storage requirements for the vaccine (liquid nitrogen), Dorset County Hospital will serve as the hub," the UHD report said.

"There are already active workstreams in place for workforce, data and IT, communications and primary care, as well as close links with the social care cell, which includes representatives from care home providers, our two local authorities and community care services.

"This is a hugely encouraging and exciting development, and all Dorset partners will be playing a part in this programme."

Doctors' surgeries will oversee the first vaccinations, and the report added they were "well prepared to start in early December", before the wider rollout becomes possible in the following weeks.

The second group due to be prioritised will be NHS and social care staff and those over the age of 80.