Campaign for pharmacies to be used in vaccine roll out continues to gather pace
THE News and its sister titles are campaigning to get the coronavirus vaccine roll out accelerated at pace.
We are calling for every pharmacy in the UK to be allowed to give Covid-19 vaccinations to make the country safer, faster.
Our Shot in the Arm campaign involves all 11,500 chemists across the UK, lowering the barriers to entry for vaccinations.
Instead of having a vaccination centre within 10 miles of you, as the government is proposing, we say it should be within 10 minutes.
A mass vaccination centre is planned for St James’ Hospital in Milton, which could vaccinate thousands of people across the city – but so far an opening date has not been set.
More than 60,000 people have backed the campaign, including high-ranking politicians such as Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer, and former prime minister Tony Blair.
Sir Keir, who has made multiple visits to Portsmouth in the past, said: ‘The government needs to match the nation’s ambition with a 24/7 rollout which harnesses all the expertise and dedication our country has to offer.
‘Every high street has a pharmacy – I want to see every possible pharmacy deployed to help.’
Tony Blair added: ‘We must use the largest number of venues in the right areas to reach as many people as possible.
‘Government has recognised the role that GPs play in people’s lives but it’s important they do the same for pharmacies.
‘This is the biggest challenge facing the country in my lifetime. It demands that we move onto a different footing.’
A handful of pharmacies are already supplying vaccinations for Covid-19, with 15 GP surgeries and health centres delivering the Pfizer vaccine in Portsmouth and south east Hampshire, but we believe more can be done.
Lalys Pharmacy and Rowlands Pharmacy have also backed the campaign, with Lalys founder Baldev Laly saying his staff are ‘ready and willing to help in any way they can.’
The petition, which is being hosted by change.org, is at tinyurl.com/y6y4ztvb