From a cathedral to a water park, here are some of the more quirky spots being used to roll out mass vaccine campaigns globally
By Sonia Elks
LONDON, Jan 22 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - As countries around the world roll out mass COVID-19 vaccination programmes, large public spaces from ice rinks to cathedrals are being repurposed as makeshift inoculation hubs.
Here are eight of the more usual venues being used to host vaccination facilities:
1. A cathedral: The 800-year-old Salisbury Cathedral is one of several British cathedrals to open as a vaccination centre. Those awaiting their shot can enjoy organ music to calm any last-minute nerves.
2. Disneyland: California officials have taken over a parking lot at the Anaheim resort as a super-site with the capacity to vaccinate some 3,000 people per day.
3. An airport: Thousands of flight attendants and other airline workers in Singapore are being vaccinated at a centre in terminal four of the city-state's Changi Airport.
4. An ice rink: Berlin's Erika-Hess ice stadium is among the first mass vaccine delivery sites to open in the German capital, with others planned at a velodrome and a disused airport.
5. A racecourse: Known for hosting "the Derby" summer horse racing event, Epsom Downs racecourse in south England has been turned into one of the country's temporary immunisation centres.
6. A baseball park: Home of the New York Mets, Citi Field will host a mega-vaccination site, Mayor Bill de Blasio said, with the capacity to vaccinate up to 7,000 fans - or rivals - per day.
7. A convention centre: With conferences on hold, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Canada has been converted into a vaccine hub, though it was forced to pause activity this week due to a shortage of doses.
8. A water park: The Time Capsule Waterpark in Scotland is among the country's more quirky vaccination venues, which also include churches, schools and community halls.
Sources: NHS England, English Cathedrals, County of Orange Health Care Agency, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Berlin.de official website, City of New York official website, City of Toronto, Scottish Government.
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(Reporting by Sonia Elks @soniaelks; Editing by Helen Popper. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers the lives of people around the world who struggle to live freely or fairly. Visit http://news.trust.org)
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