Bournemouth International Centre vaccine programme paused
Vaccinators are celebrating hitting the 90,000 vaccine milestone on their last shift
Vaccinators at Bournemouth International Centre went out on a high for their final shift there.
They reached the 90,000 vaccine milestone during before pausing to make way for a large event at the BIC.
While vaccinations continue at other sites across Dorset, the service there has now closed for a few weeks. It was an emotional yet happy moment for staff and Community Action Network volunteers who have worked so hard to ensure the local community are better protected from the virus.
Belinda Andrews-Jones, Dorset HealthCare’s COVID-19 Vaccination Programme Senior Manager, said:
“Our last day before the temporary closure was fantastic. We successfully vaccinated a great number of people.
“We have continued to work closely with ambassadors from different communities to encourage uptake, running dedicated clinics for specific ethnic minority communities. We were delighted to be able to invite and vaccinate an extra 150 people on our last shift.”
Following the success of a clinic aimed at ethnic minority residents earlier this year, the team invited Gurkhas from Blandford Camp military base and Kuwaiti pilots training at Bournemouth International Airport to get their jabs at the Bournemouth International Centre.
The COVID-19 vaccination service at the BIC will resume on 19 July. In the meantime, local people can continue to book their vaccinations on the NHS national booking service website for an alternative site: www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/
Local people aged 18-39 can also grab their jab at a pop-up clinic in Bournemouth on Saturday (3 July), from 11am-3pm at St Luke’s Church, Winton.
Belinda added:
“Although there’s a gap in giving vaccinations at the BIC, this will not delay COVID-19 vaccinations in Dorset, as it gives us the opportunity to hold more outreach clinics where we can vaccinate people in their local community.
“A big thank-you to all staff and volunteers to date that have been part of the large scale vaccination site. We look forward to welcoming you back in July.”
For more information on the Bournemouth large scale vaccination site and pop-up clinics visit www.dorsethealthcare.nhs.uk