PICTURES: Students queue to get Covid vaccines at the BIC

Queues are stretching back from the vaccination site for more than quarter of a mile up the B3066 towards West Cliff Road.

Many have been queuing more than an hour since before 8am, with more young people turning up every minute.

The students were invited to the walk-in session to get a Covid vaccine at the BIC earlier this week.

Read more: Bournemouth University students offered Covid vaccine jab at the BIC this week

A statement published on Bournemouth University's (BU) website said vaccinations would be available to students aged over 18 from Tuesday, May 18, until Monday, May 24.

The walk-ins were also promoted on the institution's social media channels.

The invitation to students comes at a time this week when across England patients aged 36 and 37 have been invited to book their first jab.

Arts University Bournemouth students have received a similar notice, which was published on the establishment's social media on the afternoon of May 18.

University student Ciara Lathrope, who is one of the young people waiting in line to get her vaccination today, told the Echo: "People just assume we don't care, when we really do.

"I want to get my vaccination today because at Christmas I was in hospital with Covid.

"I had it really, really bad – it affected my liver.

"It was quite scary and I definitely don't want to risk getting it again or passing it to anyone else.

"I don't want to give it to anyone else, because I know what it is like to get it."

Meanwhile, student Faith McNamara, who also spoke to the Echo from the queue this morning said: "I also contracted Covid. I wasn't in hospital, but I did get it.

"I think the reason so many people are here is we don't want to put our parents in danger or any of our siblings.

"I have younger siblings who are under 18 and they are not allowed to get the vaccine yet.

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"A lot of us also have part time jobs working with the public. I work at a cafe, so I want to make sure I don't spread it to anyone I am working with or any of the customers.

"All the people I know around my age have always said they are going to get a vaccine.

"No one wants to put any one in danger, and we also want to start hanging out again – we've lost a year at uni, the social life has been terrible.

"There will always be a minority that break the rules and don't want the vaccine, but the large majority of us do."

Students have been told they need to take their university ID card to the vaccination centre, a print out of a letter showing they are a student or take their NUS/Totem card.

"Please be aware that there will be a finite supply of the vaccine available each day and there may be days when the vaccination centre reaches capacity and has to turn people away," BU's statement says.

"They will not do this lightly and we hope that you will appreciate this in good faith and be accepting of the situation. Both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines will be available at the BIC and the type of vaccine which you receive will be determined by the team at the centre, based on your own circumstances."

It adds: "You will be invited to get your second jab at a later date. You won’t need to get this in Bournemouth, so if you have left by then for the summer, you will be able to get this at a vaccination centre where you are at that time. There is more information available on the NHS website about the Covid-19 vaccination.

"This is a tremendous opportunity to get vaccinated now and earlier than expected for most of you; please take advantage of this offer to BU students, especially as restrictions have now eased a little around socialising and travel and with the concerns around new variants of Covid-19 in the UK."

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Speaking to the Echo from the queue this morning, Bournemouth University student Flo Dere, aged 18, said: "I haven't really slept yet, they dragged me here at 8am.

"Everyone is really keen to get it (the vaccine)

"I do think the majority of people in our accommodation have taken this seriously."

The Daily Echo has contacted Dorset HealthCare NHS Trust, which is overseeing the Covid vaccine rollout across the county, and Dorset Clinical Commission Group for comment on the walk-in sessions for university students.