The vaccinations began last week on Wednesday 6 October and were initially being run on a drop-in basis. They were available for all staff members who had received their first dose of the vaccine in late 2020, or early 2021, at specific venues.
The jabs will now continue to be delivered via a booking system, supported by NHS Doncaster Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), with every staff member who has been given two doses of the vaccine receiving a text message, which will inform them of the date, time, and location of their booster. This system should ensure that the Trust can continue its strong start to the campaign, and make it as successful as the first vaccine rollout, when more than 13,000 doses were successfully administered.
Richard Parker OBE, Chief Executive of DBTH, said: “This is a fantastic start to the booster programme, and I would like to thank our team of vaccinators who have worked incredibly hard to ensure that we can be in this position, as well as those staff who have got their jab. However, this is only the beginning and we need to ensure that the uptake continues to grow.
“The cold weather that we will experience in winter is certain to cause a rise in cases of COVID-19 as well as the other main winter illnesses. We want to make sure that we are in the best position possible to tackle this surge in cases, and the booster vaccination campaign is a crucial tool in our ability to do so. Therefore, I would ask that when you get sent the text message giving you the details of your booster slot, please book yourself in as soon as you can to protect not only yourself, but also your family and friends.”
Health professionals at the Trust are continuing to urge local people to adhere to Government guidelines on Covid-19, particularly stressing the importance of hands, face, and space. Visitors to the hospitals can also help in the fight against the winter illnesses by not coming to the Trust to see relatives and friends in hospital if they have any COVID-19, flu, or cold symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, cough, body aches and fatigue. A full list of visiting restrictions can be viewed here: https://www.dbth.nhs.uk/patients-visitors/