JABS ON THE HIGH STREET
Chemists join the battle to vaccinate Britain for first time Brazil flights ban but another delay on testing arrivals to UK
HIGH street chemists yesterday joined the race to vaccinate Britain against coronavirus.
Six took part, and 200 more will be added soon, with nearly three million people now inoculated.
Flights from Brazil were banned over a new strain fear but the Government has yet again delayed rules requiring negative tests for arrivals to the UK.
One of the first patients to receive the jab was
Keith Stanisford 83, of Guildford, Surrey. Another, Patricia Main, 75, said: “I’m ecstatic. I really could cry I’m that happy at getting it. I would advise everybody to get this feeling of security.
“Let’s all get it done and all get back to normal.”
Patricia was one of the first to receive the Oxford/ AstraZeneca jab in
Halifax, West Yorks.
It was also available at Widnes and Macclesfield in Cheshire, Edgware, North London, Guildford, Surrey, and Telford, Shrops. Andrew Hodgson, director of Andrew’s Pharmacy in Macclesfield, gave his first dose to Robert Salt, 82, at 8am.
He said: “It is probably the biggest single day of my career.
I feel close to the people who are getting vaccinated and it is a personal experience for them.”
Robert added: “There was a little trepidation but it’s good.”
Peter Cast, 87, of Ashtead, Surrey, received his injection at Superdrug in Guildford. He said the speed with which Britain approved and rolled out the jab was “absolutely miraculous”. The Government hopes to vaccinate 15 million people in the four most vulnerable groups by the middle of next month. NHS England said 200 other High Street chemists will join by the end of this month.
Figures reveal 447,329 vaccine doses have been administered in the Midlands, the most in England, but only 237,524 in London.