A vaccination bus which was launched in April has administered its 1,000th jab.

The milestone was reached this week during a pop-up clinic at the University of East Anglia (UEA).

Vaccinations were provided at the UEA to students, staff and members of the public, with more than 300 vaccinated over two days.

The roving vaccination team have been hopping on the bus since April, visiting specially chosen sites across Norfolk and Waveney; vaccinating people in areas where uptake has been lower than average or where virus transmission rates remain high.

Norwich Evening News: The mobile vaccination bus pictured out and about.The mobile vaccination bus pictured out and about. (Image: NHS Norfolk and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group)

Tracy Williams, a Queen’s Nurse and NHS Norfolk and Waveney CCG Clinical Governing Body member, said: “The response to the bus has been fantastic.

"We can park ourselves at the heart of communities and provide a relaxed, informal vaccination service for those who may not want to go to a hospital or large vaccination centre.

"The conversations we are having with people are fascinating.

"There is so much misinformation about the vaccines and having time to talk to people in an environment they are familiar with means we can answer questions and alleviate their fears.

“The vaccine bus isn’t about vaccinating huge numbers quickly, it’s about reaching people who may not have had a vaccine if we hadn’t parked up and engaged with them within their own community.

"We know that we need to tailor the vaccination programme service to specific patient groups so everyone has the opportunity to get the jab – this is the opposite of one size fits all."

Almost nine out of every 10 people (89pc) in Norfolk and Waveney - or 757,935 - have received at least one layer of protection from the virus.

But the overall weekly total of 22,711 also represents a new low for the area since NHS England began releasing more regular statistics in January.

It has not risen since the final week of May, when 66,306 shots were administered.

Increased numbers of bookable appointments and walk-in slots are currently available to meet the demand from younger people.

The walk-in clinics provide a good spread of locations and options with local pharmacy sites also increasing the number of bookable appointments available closer to home.