Vaxi Taxi relieves some anxiety for Londoners getting vaccine

The Vaxi Taxi was a godsend for Leslie Reid. The 48-year-old stagehand wanted to get a COVID-19 shot, but he was worried about riding public transport to the vaccination center because his immune system had been weakened by a bout with flesh-eating bacteria that almost cost him his arm.

So Reid jumped at the opportunity when his doctor called and offered him the shot, together with door-to-door transportation.

“I was one of the fortunate ones,’’ he said after being inoculated inside a black van cab at a community vaccination event in north London. “I’m sure there are plenty more vulnerable people than me that should have gotten this. What can I say? I’m very glad.’’

The “Vaxi Taxi” that ferried Reid to his appointment and whisked him home again is just one initiative doctors and community organizers are promoting as they try to make sure everyone gets inoculated.

Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi praised such local initiatives, describing them as part of a national strategy that aimed to organize uptake down to the postal code. He told The Associated Press that data is showing that people want access to the vaccine at a time of their choice and in a place they trust.

A recent survey commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care found just 72.5% of Black people in England either have received or would accept the vaccine. That compares with 87.6% for Asians and 92.6% for whites.

“We demonstrated our ability to organize and deploy at scale in the Olympics,” Zahawi said.

“This is even bigger. This is the largest vaccination program in the history of the [National Health Service], in the history of United Kingdom. But I do think it’s suited to our DNA on these isles.”

With the Vaxi Taxi, people didn’t even need to leave the back seat in order to receive their inoculation if they didn’t want to. Dr. Sharon Raymond, a general practitioner and head of the Covid Crisis Rescue Foundation, hopes to get more support to get iconic black cabs rolling out to help across the capital. Since they have screens, they provide a shield for those inside, are accessible for the disabled and, with few tourists these days, there are plenty of cabbies willing to take part.

“This is my vision of London,’’ Raymond said. “The black cab saves the day!’’

ALASTAIR GRANT/AP Dr. Tamara Joffe prepares to administer a COVID-19 jab using the Astrazeneca vaccine to Leslie Reid in the back of a London taxi cab during the pilot project of Vaxi Taxi, which aims to help ferry supplies and patients to temporary clinics set up in faith and community centers across the city.