Pompey Pensioners' chair backs campaign calling on government to use pharmacies for Covid-19 vaccine roll out

Pompey Pensioners chairman Steve Bonner threw his support behind The Shot in the Arm campaign by The News and its sister titles, which launched today, calling on the government to use the network of pharmacies across the country to help deliver the coronavirus vaccines to more people and ensure everyone has local access.

He said: ‘We don’t want there to be issues with pensioners not being able to get places to get their vaccine due to transport and pharmacies tend to be very local to people.

‘I think also people tend to know their pharmacists by name and that would definitely help. We support the use of pharmacies and vaccines being within 10 minutes for people and not 10 miles.’

Nadhim Zahawi, the government minister in charge of vaccine deployment, said on Monday afternoon that most people currently had ‘about a 45-minute drive’ or less to a vaccination centre, but his aim was that no-one in the UK was ‘more than a 10-mile radius’.

Currently there are 15 GP surgeries and health centres delivering the Pfizer vaccine in Portsmouth and south east Hampshire.

There is also a hub at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham and a supercentre is due to open at St James’ Hospital in Milton, in the next couple of weeks.

Drayton pensioner Ruth Rogers has been a keen supporter of the Covid-19 vaccine and has also backed pharmacies being involved in the roll out programme.

The 87-year-old, who has had both injection doses, said: ‘Anything we can do to get the vaccines out quicker and get life back to normal should be be done. I think people, myself included, are getting tired of it all and we need to get it under control.

‘It is a brilliant idea for people to have their vaccines at their pharmacies because it is somewhere people have to go to pick up their medicines anyway so it is likely to be local to people.

‘I get my flu jab at my pharmacy and they are amazing so they have all the gear for it and I think it will help to speed everything up and would help everyone.’

SEE ALSO: Portsmouth's Queen Alexandra Hospital has nearly twice the number of Covid-19 patients than first wave peak

Helen Harbour had her first jab three weeks ago at a GP surgery and thinks pharmacies would be easier for people to access.

The 90-year-old, who lives in Lee-on-the-Solent, said: ‘It was all plain sailing but I think it would have been easier to go to my pharmacy to have it as it is for many people.

‘I was speaking to my partner John (also 90) and we thought that it would be better if jabs were given to teachers and shop workers before us so they can get back to working safely.’

It comes after bosses from Lalys Pharmacy and Rowlands Pharmacy, which have branches across Portsmouth and the Hampshire area, said they are ‘willing and ready to help’.

Baldev Laly said: ‘Those who have been distributing the Pfizer vaccine in the city have done a fantastic job with a vaccine that has logistical challenges, but now other alternatives have become available, we can provide safe, secure environments with experienced staff if the wider healthcare system requires this.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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