MPs say 'mobilise our pharmacies now' and launch Covid jab facilities 10 minutes from your home

Hartlepool’s Member of Parliament Mike Hill and fellow Labour MP Grahame Morris for Easington say the move could make a big difference locally and the sooner pharmacists can play their part in vaccinating the nation the faster.

They are also behind our campaign’s wish that everyone should live no more than 10 minutes away from a vaccination venue instead of 10 miles as stipulated by the Government.

Mr Hill and Mr Morris said: "We fully support the Mail’s ‘Shot in the Arm’ campaign.’ Industry leaders have made it clear to the NHS and Government that they are ‘ready, willing and desperate’ to help and in our opinion the sooner the government gives the green light to pharmacists the better.

“The Government has so far relied upon GPs, nurses and retired volunteers to issue the vaccines, yet it is estimated that the nation’s 11,000 pharmacies could feasibly deliver 1.3 million doses per week.

"Imagine the difference that would make in Hartlepool and East Durham. We also think it is right that everyone should have access to a vaccination facility within 10 minutes of their homes.

“This important campaign by the Mail has exposed an obvious gap in the fight against Covid-19 and local pharmacies should be mobilised now to assist the NHS.”

The North East welcomed the launch of its first mass immunisation centre at the Centre for Life in Newcastle on Monday (January 11).

But there are concerns about the time it would take to build makeshift centres in communities.

We say local pharmacists are the ideal health professionals to be able to help meet the government’s target of vaccinating 14 million people by the middle of February.

Hartlepool pharmacist Qammar Nazir, who owns the Winterbottom and Middle Warren pharmacies, has spoken in favour of our campaign which is also being backed by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

The Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine offers the opportunity for community pharmacists to immunise people as it can be stored more easily than the Pfizer variety.

In Hartlepool, pharmacists have helped to deliver the Pfizer jab from large vaccination clinics running at the Town Hall Theatre.

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