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Vaccination Update - 1 of 4
I just wanted to update you on the vaccine rollout, something I know many of us are extremely interested in.
This afternoon, I volunteered for my first shift as a vaccine marshal at the Cheltenham Fire Station, along with many other willing volunteers.
Here is what I have learned over the last 24 hours (and because I have much to say, I will make 4 separate stand alone posts, all about different aspects of the vaccine rollout):
• We have an absolutely brilliant team of volunteers helping 100s and 1000s of people get their much needed vaccinations; I felt privileged, very humble and a little emotional to play my small part in helping this excellent team rollout the vaccines
• Volunteers came from all walks of life and backgrounds and gave their time freely, as did all the NHS staff, who were working on their off-duty time, so that normal surgeries could still take place. Absolutely brilliant and inspiring to see such selfless dedication. Patients were transported by a whole range of equally generous community helpers, including family, friends and neighbours
• The whole system is very well organised and rest assured, delivery is going extremely well. Not yet as fast as the team can administer vaccinations, as vaccine supply will take a week or two to get up to full capacity, I suspect
• The Fire Station site is usually open 7 days a week, from 8 am to 4.30 pm, with 6 vaccination pods, taking a few minutes per person, giving a daily average total of anything up to 750 doses, or perhaps more, depending upon vaccine supply. If the supply is there, there are also 3 evening sessions, each of 4 hours, greatly expanding the average daily rate of vaccinations.
• They have created a safe, friendly and welcoming environment; please see this video of the set-up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=mbQkRe1Hh8Q...
• At its current maximum, the site can therefore do well over 6,000 a week, and given we now have about a 1,000 sites around the country, should mean the 2m a week national target is not far away from being achieved, and hopefully bettered (assuming the supply improves)
• The Fire Station site is capable of a much faster rate of vaccination, particularly as more supply comes on line and the target audience gets younger and more nimble (currently, it is the highly vulnerable over 80s)
• As far as I could tell, patients travelled from within Cheltenham and its immediate surrounding areas, had been given their appointments via letter or phone call from their local GP surgery, sometimes with over a week's notice but usually at least a few days. It was not obvious if selection was alphabetical or otherwise, as although the key factor is age, many other medical factors could be influencing the selection
• I monitored 100s of people after their vaccinations, with not one having any obvious reaction to the vaccine, which was the Pfizer one
In summary, you can have absolutely every confidence in vaccinations going on in Cheltenham and I have every reason to believe that all the other vaccination centres are operating just as effectively and efficiently.
Makes me proud to be British.
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Thank you Ann, that is very reassuring.
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Thanks Ann, an interesting article.
I'm registered as an NHS Volunteer 'responder', did it last March, but have never activated it due to the unforseen problems with Mum that arose. However I was thinking the other day that I could now do something useful.
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In this area they have been asking for people to help marshal car parks and people going in to be vaccinated, once inside it is the surgery staff who are doing the organising and admin. But worth looking to see if help is needed Sheila.
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