NHS community teams to boost COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Hampshire and Isle of Wight

Dedicated teams across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are going the extra mile to reach even more eligible people who have not yet received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Organisations are reaching out to people in priority groups 1-9 in the community who have not yet booked an appointment, supporting them to receive their vaccination or talking about vaccine safety and efficacy.

This will help those who are not easily able to visit the vaccination centres, or those who may have questions about the vaccine.

NHS staff from the four Hampshire and Isle of Wight large-scale vaccine centres run by Solent NHS Trust will be holding vaccination sessions in the community, including for veterans and people who are homeless. Teams of vaccinators will be visiting places of worship and homeless shelters, among others.

The local NHS is continuing its work with community and faith leaders, engaging with communities where there is still some hesitancy to reassure people about the vaccine safety and effectiveness and to counter misinformation. They will also be having conversations with people who may be more concerned about having the vaccine, including pregnant women.

As the national supply of vaccine reduces, as set out by the Government Vaccine Taskforce, people in the local NHS will be focussed on encouraging those most at risk from COVID-19 to receive the first dose of their vaccine.

Vaccinations will continue at Solent NHS Trust’s four large-scale vaccination centres; honouring all first and second dose appointments that have already been booked. The centres will be back to full capacity once the national supply increases again.

Dr Nigel Watson, GP and Clinical Lead for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, said: “Dedicated GPs across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight continue to work extremely hard to support delivery of the COVID-19 vaccination programme locally. Hundreds of thousands of eligible people in our communities who are most at risk have been vaccinated at Primary Care Networks sites and their outstanding efforts are saving lives.

“There are still appointments available and I strongly encourage anyone who has received an invitation but has not yet been vaccinated to book as soon as possible, either by contacting their GP surgery, making an appointment to attend a vaccination centre at nhs.uk/covid-vaccination or by calling 119.

“I would remind everyone to continue to wash their hands regularly, wear a face mask or covering when required and practice social distancing – even if they have had the vaccine.”