KEEP UP THE PRESSURE
Thousands sign our campaign petition Snow cancels jabs at mass vaccine centre Death toll passes 700 at city's NHS Trust
We are calling on the Government to let all local pharmacies play a role in they delivery of the coronavirus vaccine – and thousands have signed the petition.
Local pharmacies, which have the experience, expertise and trust of local communities, are the ideal candidates for delivery of the vaccine.
Our 'A Shot in the Arm' campaign calls for everyone to have the ability to get a jab within 10 minutes of their home by using our great pharmacy network.
The petition – which can be signed by visiting http:// chng.it/nzjVGPFJMC – has already been signed by more than 3,000 readers in the first 24 hours. It is picking up more and more momentum, including the campaign being raised in parliament this week.
But we are hoping to reach 10,000 signatures on the petition, so we urge you to show your support if you have not already signed.
The importance of rolling out the vaccine programme as thoroughly and quickly as possible was underlined yesterday when South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust announced a further nine patients had died in their hospitals – taking the death toll beyond 700.
These are some of the reasons why readers who have signed the petition believe that getting vaccinations into local pharmacies is the right move for roll-out.
“Nearly everyone lives
close to a pharmacy”, says Beverley Yeoman Glover.
“They are more regularly used than hospitals or other medical centres, including GP surgeries.
“It makes sense to use these facilities when they are already being used to dispense flu vaccines, prescriptions, over-the-counter medication and they even house methadone clinics in some cases.”
Isabella Smart, who signed the petition this week, questioned why, if it’s
possible to get a flu jab in “your local ASDA” that coronavirus vaccines shouldn’t be available in a similar capacity.
“We are encouraged to seek advice about ailments from a pharmacist before making an appointment with a GP, to lighten their load. Throughout this pandemic we've been told more than once that "we're in this together", so let's live up to that and do what's needed to get us back to being together.”