A VOICE from Solihull’s past is urging the country to get its Covid jabs as the NHS launches a nationwide hunt to recruit an extra 10,000 vaccination workers.
Former Catherine de Barnes resident and one time Solihull parliamentary candidate for the Conservatives Maggie Throup, now vaccines minister in the government, and MP for Erewash, said: “Our Covid-19 vaccination programme has been an incredible success.
“I encourage everybody to come forward for the first, second, booster and flu vaccines to protect yourself and those around you.”
Her call comes as the Omicron mutation of the Covid virus continues to spread across the UK.
The health service made history when Margaret Keenan received the first Covid jab at Coventry a year ago, launching the NHS vaccination programme, the world’s first national effort to protect people against the virus.
Twelve months on, NHS staff are expected to deliver the 100millionth jab as the health service again ramps up the vaccination programme in response to the new threat from the Omicron variant.
Almost 3,000 vaccine sites have been stood up across the country, staffed by NHS staff and over 118,000 NHS volunteers – who have given over 1.9 million hours to help protect millions of people at speed.
However, the Covid vaccination programme is now in its most complex phase yet and the NHS is once again calling on everyone to play their part in the new ‘national mission’.
In all, 10,000 new roles are being advertised to help the health service provide boosters to millions more people across the country.
New jobs include vaccinators, admin staff and healthcare support workers.
The NHS is also working with the Royal Voluntary Service and St John to drum up the support of more than 42,000 volunteers.
To apply for one of the jobs or to become a volunteer, search ‘NHS vaccine team’ or visit www.england.nhs.uk/JoinVaccineTeam.
