‘We have the ability to turn on a sixpence’
Rebecca Dennett, 40, Squadron Leader (Royal Air Force), retired, East of England
Squadron Leader Rebecca Dennett’s 12 years with the RAF stood her in great stead for her role in the vaccination rollout. “We have a lot of transferable skills and useful experience, especially the ability to turn on a sixpence,” said Rebecca, an intensive care nurse before joining the service. “The vaccination programme was working in a space where the science was still rolling out the answers and the military are trained to work in constantly evolving situations,” she said. In the RAF, she worked in medical evacuation as a critical care nurse. “That meant I was an intensive care nurse in the air, which requires a very specific focus and resilience, which could be put to good use in the vaccination programme.” Deputy director of the Flu and COVID Vaccination Programme for NHS England and NHS Improvement East of England, Rebecca manages a 50-strong team including other Veterans. “The team knows what a difference the booster jabs make and have responded with an amazing effort in providing the booster over December – one day we provided 104,000 doses,” she continued. “The public response has been incredible. More than eight in ten people who are eligible have now received their top-up protection. “We have to remember those who want it but have busy lives and haven’t fitted it in yet, so we are there for them, pushing it out and providing outreach.”