Covid-19: Angry calls and threats over Chesterfield FC vaccines

Chesterfield FC said it was "only contacted after the surgery had exhausted all other viable options"

A medical centre received angry calls and one staff member was threatened after players at a nearby football club were given Covid vaccines.

Chesterfield FC said some players and staff, "most of them vulnerable", were given jabs to stop them being wasted.

However, the medical centre which gave the vaccines has received dozens of angry phone calls since news of the vaccinations appeared in the media.

One threatened a female member of staff, saying he knew where she lived.

The woman has reported the threat to Derbyshire Police, which has confirmed it is investigating.

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She told the BBC: "My personal details have been put out and I've actually had threats because of this. I got a call saying they knew where I and my family live and to get ready.

"I'm trying to do my job and I've had almost 40 calls this morning. People are phoning the surgery to complain about what's happened because it's been misinterpreted by a reporter who rang me yesterday and was really aggressive.

"It's become very upsetting. I've been on to the police this morning trying to deal with the threats. It's not nice."

She said the players and staff members were given the Pfizer vaccine, which is stored at sub-zero temperatures and has to be used up after being thawed.

It comes after a thousand doses of Pfizer vaccine - worth £12,000 - had to be thrown away in Warwickshire because a parcel was left unrefrigerated for two-and-a-half hours.

"They are very precious vaccines and we are trying desperately not to waste them," said the NHS staff member who was threatened.

"They had to get there within 15 minutes or it would have gone down the drain.

"We're working 12 hours a day, seven days a week to try and get this done and all of that work has been overshadowed by this."

The club said most of the people who received the vaccines were classed as vulnerable

The National League club has provided testing facilities at its stadium during the pandemic and is in discussions about hosting a vaccination centre.

The PA news agency said it understands three players and three members of staff were given vaccines, but the club has not confirmed this figure.

A spokesman for the football club said: "A small number of Chesterfield players and staff - most of whom are classed as vulnerable people - have received the Covid-19 vaccine.

"In line with the NHS directive - that doctors and staff have the discretion to ensure that they can make full use of any unused vaccines, rather than have any go to waste - the people concerned were called at very short notice to receive the vaccine.

"They were only contacted after the surgery had exhausted all other viable options. Those involved were keen that these vaccines were not wasted, which would have been the case had they not received them."

NHS Derby and Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said it was investigating the circumstances surrounding what happened.