You will soon be able to get Covid-19 vaccines outside of the NHS for the first time since their introduction in December 2020as jabs are scheduled to land on the high street next week.
Set to be made available to anyone aged 12 and above from 1 April onwards, British pharmacy and beauty brand Boots will be the first retailer to sell Covid vaccines to the general public.
Boots will be stocking the Pfizer jab in a total of 50 stores across the country, with single doses said to cost £98.95 a pop, the new private vaccine purchases provide an option for those who do not currently fit the criteria for a free booster.
A Boots spokesperson told The Times: “Our private service builds on our existing delivery of Covid-19 vaccinations for the NHS and we are pleased we can now offer Covid vaccines both on behalf of the NHS and privately, as we have done with flu vaccinations for many years.”
Boots Manchester ArndaleThey’ll be stocking the PfizerBioNTech jab.Credit: Google Street View/Lisa Ferdinando(via Wikimedia Commons)
The high street staple insists that offering Covid jabs over the counter will help bring peace of mind to people who still want added protection from the virus who are currently unable to get one via the NHS, whose official vaccination programme ended in 2021.
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Eligibility for boosters has mainly been reserved for those considered high-risk, including over-65s or patients who are immunosuppressed as a result of pre-existing conditions.
Meanwhile, although healthier young people and adults are unlikely to suffer severely from coronavirus, vaccines can still help shield them from uncomfortable symptoms such as coughs and sore throats.
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Jabs will still have to be administered inside the shop itself, with Boots releasing appointment slots from this week ahead of the rollout next month. Opting for the single-dose Pfizer vaccine also means patients will not need to return for a second visit.
Compared to the likes of the flu jab which are roughly between £15-20 in most cases, it remains to be seen whether the cost of Covid jabs will put people off getting them on the high street.
Plans to sell them privately were outlined back in December 2023 with both Pfizer and Moderna making it clear they were keen to sell their products on the high street, but prices will still be set by individual pharmacies as more brands inevitably come on board.
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The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said last year that it was happy with private sales, stating: “We have spoken to manufacturers we’re [contracted] with and made it clear we won’t prevent them initiating a private market for Covid-19 vaccines, rather we’d welcome such an innovation in the UK.”
If you’re interested in getting a Covid booster, before going right ahead and booking a private appointment at your nearest Boots, you can double-check if you’re eligible to get one free through the NHS HERE.
Simon Wood announces gutting closure of Manchester restaurant after seven years
Danny Jones
Celebrity chef and Manchester local Simon Wood has announced that his self-titled WOOD Restaurant has sadly closed its doors.
The Oldham-born chef-owner who won MasterChef back in 2015, revealed the unfortunate news on Wednesday, 2 October, confirming that the First Street site will be closing immediately. Truly gutting.
Wood has remained one of Greater Manchester’s most-renowned chefs for the past decade, not to mention a huge advocate for supporting the hospitality industry, especially post-Covid and during the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Sharing an emotional post on Instagram, he wrote: “It is with much regret that I have to inform you that I must close the doors here at WOOD for good, with immediate effect.”
“We have had 7 years as part of the Manchester city dining scene and I’m very proud of what the team and I have achieved”, the 48-year-old continued.
“Sadly with COVID rent arrears now being demanded by our landlord and an increasingly difficult marketplace, energy increases, ingredient costs and soon-to-be spiralling business rates we just cannot make this work.”
“I’d like to thank everyone for your support and patronage over the years. Thank you, Simon.”
It was only at the start of the week that Wood shared a frustrated post about a group of no-show customers over the weekend that failed to even pre-warn that they would no longer be attending one of his most exclusive and costly experiences.
We’re starting to lose count of how many local businesses are unfortunately struggling in the face of the rising business rates and energy bills that all independents are facing at the minute.
It was only last month that we saw Almous Famous had to call it a day with their Withington location and beloved sandwich spot Micky’s sadly suffer the same fate. Even cult favourite Cafe Marhaba looks to have gone up for sale. So tough to swallow.
We’re genuinely gutted for everyone involved with the brand. All the best, Si – we know you’ll be back stronger than ever one of these days.
Featured Images — The Manc Group
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No trams to run through major Manchester city centre station this weekend
Emily Sergeant
Arguably Manchester city centre’s most important tram stop is set to be out of action this weekend, with no services running through it.
In what is another part of Transport for Greater Manchester‘s (TfGM) ongoing programme of works intended to “maintain and improve” the Metrolink system and ensure tram journeys in Greater Manchester remain “safe, reliable, and accessible”, it’s been confirmed that no trams will run through Cornbrook this weekend.
Due to this, there will be a change to operating patterns across the majority of the Metrolink network on both Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 October.
As is often the case in instances like these, disruption to passengers is expected.
On Saturday and Sunday [5 and 6 October], no trams will operate through Cornbrook.
There will be a change to operating patterns and replacement bus services will be in operation.
On Saturday (5 October), the tram service pattern will change to Altrincham – Old Trafford, Bury – Ashton-under-Lyne, East Didsbury – Firswood, Etihad Campus – Bury (peak time only) / Victoria (after peak only), Manchester Airport – Firswood, Rochdale Town Centre – Deansgate-Castlefield (via Exchange Square), and The Trafford Centre – Wharfside.
Similarly, on Sunday (6 October), the only difference to the above service pattern is that the Etihad Campus tram will only run to Victoria, not Bury.
Services will operate every 12 minutes, except for on the Eccles line, where no trams will run at all.
TfGM is also warning that there may be changes to the first and last tram times during these works, but, in bid to help people still get to their destinations, three bus replacement services will operate from Firswood to Victoria, Old Trafford to Piccadilly, and Eccles to Piccadilly.
No trams will run through major Manchester city centre station Cornbrook this weekend / Credit: TfGM
The Old Trafford to Piccadilly bus service will run through Wharfside, while the Eccles to Piccadilly will travel via MediaCity.
“These works are a vitally important part of maintaining a safe and reliable network for all our customers,” explained
Ian Davies, who is TfGM’s Interim Network Director for Metrolink, said these works are “a vitally important part” of maintaining the Metrolink, and that work has been scheduled by TfGM to “minimise disruption to passengers and residents as much as possible”.
Danny Jones -
26th March 2024 
