TODAY marks the beginning of the biggest vaccination process in the history of the NHS, as a Covid-19 jab is rolled out.

More than 50 hubs set up across the country at NHS Trusts, are set to distribute the vaccine.

Brighton and Sussex’s hospitals are among the hubs first to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine that was approved last week.

The Brighton Centre will be used as “one of the larger” vaccination centres, with up to 3,000 people a day, seven days a week, expected to be treated once the vaccine is available to the public.

A meeting of the policy and resources committee confirmed the site would be used until at least March next year.

Patients aged 80 and above who are already attending hospital as an outpatient, and those who are being discharged home after a hospital stay, will be among the first to receive the life-saving jab.

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Hospitals will also begin inviting over 80s in for a jab and work with care home providers to book their staff into vaccination clinics.

All those vaccinated will need a booster jab 21 days later.

GPs and other primary care staff are also being put on standby to start delivering the vaccine.

A small number of GP-led primary care networks will begin doing so next week, with more practices in more parts of the country joining in on a phased basis during December and in the coming months.

Professor Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: “Despite the huge complexities, hospitals will kick-start the first phase of the largest scale vaccination campaign in our country’s history from Tuesday.

“The first tranche of vaccine deliveries will be landing at hospitals by Monday in readiness.

“The NHS has a strong record of delivering large scale vaccination programmes – from the flu jab, HPV vaccine and lifesaving MMR jabs – hardworking staff will once again rise to the challenge to protect the most vulnerable people from this awful disease.

“The life-saving vaccine is typically delivered by a simple injection in the shoulder but there is a complex and difficult logistical challenge to deliver from the manufacturers Pfizer to patients.

“It needs to be stored at -70C before being thawed out and can only be moved four times within that cold chain before being used.

“NHS staff have been working over the weekend to prepare the sites and accept deliveries.”

The NHS is also recruiting some 30,000 volunteers to help roll out the vaccine.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “This coming week will be an historic moment as we begin vaccination against Covid-19.

“We are prioritising the most vulnerable first and over-80s, care home staff and NHS colleagues will all be among the first to receive the vaccines.”