Urgent Plea For More People To Help With lsle Of Wight Vaccination Drive

Health leaders have issued a fresh plea for more people to support the COVID-19 vaccination programme on the Isle of Wight, as dedicated teams work to ensure everyone receives their booster by the end of the year.

The vaccination programme is the largest in the history of the NHS. A key part of its success continues to be the amazing contribution of an army of volunteers, as well as more than 1,000 members of staff across Hampshire and Isle of Wight who have been redeployed, come out of retirement, or given up their spare time to support. A further 500 people have been employed in the NHS locally for the first time, working as vaccinators and administrators.

People from all walks of life have come forward to support the programme in whatever way they could. Their generosity is one of the reasons that across the Hampshire and Isle of Wight footprint, over 3.3m vaccinations have been given to date.

To meet the latest challenge of the Omicron variant and the need to vaccinate more than one million people a day across the country, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight COVID-19 vaccination programme is recruiting to the following roles: 

• Registered healthcare professionals to take consent, undertake clinical assessments, administer vaccines, or act as clinical supervisors. The programme can work with nurses, midwives, doctors, pharmacists, Allied Health Professionals, dental and healthcare scientists.
• Unregistered vaccinators. These could be people who already work in clinical settings or roles that require advanced first aid qualifications such as Healthcare Support Workers, lifeguards or nursery workers. They will be provided with full training and work under clinical supervision.
• Administrators to work alongside the vaccinators
• Volunteer stewards to help patients’ journeys through the vaccination process

 Health leaders are especially keen for anyone who has already worked in the programme, particularly in the roles listed above, to come forward and offer their support again. Their prior experience will enable them to get up to speed and support the programme quickly and effectively. 

Councillor Karl Love, Cabinet Member for Public Health at the Isle of Wight Council said:

"We join the call for people to come forward to support the vaccination programme on the Island. It is vital that our community have access to the vaccines and quickly, as winter takes hold and we witness an increase in COVID-19 cases.

"From training to administering the vaccine and sharing your administration skills to helping individuals in the vaccination centres, you could make a difference and we urge you to come forward and play a part in boosting the immunity of our community.”

Dr Matt Nisbet, GP Partner and Clinical Lead of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, said:

“Across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight we have vaccinated over 3.3million people and we know that eligible people are keen to get vaccinated as soon as possible. We are doing all we can to scale up capacity to achieve this.

"The support of everyone working in the programme is vital in ensuring we can continue to vaccinate people and protect our families and loved ones.”

Jane Ansell, Senior Responsible Officer for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, said:

“Teams across Hampshire and Isle of Wight continue to do all they can to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and we will be offering greater access to the vaccine in the coming days and weeks. However, this cannot be achieved without the incredible support of our workforce.

"I would urge anyone who wants to come forward, in whatever capacity they want, to get in contact with their local NHS and find out more about the opportunities available. Thank you to everyone already working with us for all you continue to do to help protect those who are most vulnerable in our communities."

If you are looking for a way to make a difference and want to get involved in the vaccination programme please visit the Hampshire and Isle of Wight health and care website: www.hiowhealthandcare.org/get-involved/hampshire-and-isle-wight-working