1,000 reinforcements to aid troops’ jab campaign
MILITARY chiefs are ready to mobilise another 1,000 troops to support the
NHS in its battle to deliver 20 million booster jabs before the Newyear, sources confirmed last night.
The move comes as the Government said vaccination uptake had shot up in the run-up to Christmas, with first doses increasing by 46 per cent in England, and second doses by 39 per cent.
And the vaccine drive continued unabated on Christmas Day with queues at many pharmacies.
Hospitals face increasing staff shortages due to the spread of the Omicron variant, which has left vaccine centres struggling to meet targets and deliveries delayed.
Some 750 troops have already been deployed as part of Operation Rescript, the military programme involving personnel from the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and Army.
More than 250 are currently supporting the vaccine rollout in Scotland and 175 in Wales. But now an additional 1,000 troops will inflate the overall deployment to almost 2,000, following guidance to military chiefs that the operation be seen as a national priority.
These include Royal Marines from 40 Commando, tasked with operating centres in the Southwest, and soldiers from Bulford Camp inwiltshire, Colchester Garrison in Essex and Catterick Garrison in Northyorkshire.
They are being joined by an additional 250 soldiers from the Royal Logistics Corp, who have had Christmas leave cancelled and will help to deliver vaccines as the NHS opens extra “pop-up” stations to meet its new one million jabs a day target.
The Ministry of Defence also confirmed the return of Brigadier Phil
Prosser, who commands the Army’s 101 Logistic Brigade and led soldiers distributing Covid vaccines across the country last winter.
Defence Secretary Benwallace has made it clear that the military will provide all the support it can with Navy and RAF medics joining the operation.
He said: “We have rapidly mobilised Service personnel to work alongside our dedicated health services to accelerate the vaccine booster programme.
“Our Armed Forces will help to get vaccines in arms as quickly as possible.” The Department of Health said it administered 221,564 first doses in the week of December 15-21 in England, a 46 per cent increase from the previous week, and 279,112 second doses, a
39 per cent jump.
In England, there was an 85 per cent increase in first doses in people aged 18 to 24 and a 71 per cent increase in first doses among people aged 25 to 30. The same week also saw more over 60s have a first dose than any seven-day period since early June.
Health secretary Sajid Javid said: “It has been excellent to see a recent surge in first and second jabs.
“Those initial jabs lay the foundation for the booster jab to protect against Omicron – two doses is not enough and you need to build protection jab by jab.”
NHS England thanked health service staff who worked on Christmas Day.
In a tweet, the health services said: “From vaccinators to volunteers, porters to paramedics, midwives to mental health practitioners, and all other essential workers – thank you to everyone who is working over the festive period!”