Covid: Devizes celebrates vaccination effort

The Corn Exchange in Devizes has been a focal point for vaccinations

Lessons learned from distributing the flu vaccination in rural counties like Wiltshire have been helping the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccination.

Nearly 13,000 people have received their coronavirus vaccine at the Corn Exchange in Devizes.

The 19th Century building had been used to administer the winter flu jab so vaccinators knew they could get people in and out of the site safely.

Eight hundred people received their Covid-19 vaccination on 20 March.

'Community effort'

Dr Richard Sandford-Hill, who has been a GP with the Market Lavington practice for 26 years, said: "All the staff here have to be healthcare professionals, and they're not reducing down their day jobs, they're volunteering to do extra hours to get this through."

The town council opened the Corn Exchange up for vaccinations, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said, because of its prior use as a winter flu vaccine hub.

Dr Sandford-Hill said current and returning healthcare professionals, as well as an army of up to 25 volunteers, had given their time to bolstering Devizes' historic vaccine effort.

Primary care network manager Helen Scott said: "There's been so much community effort. We've had local businesses turn up with coffee and sweet treats - it's been amazing, really."

Devizes town clerk Simon Fisher said the town council was keen for Devizes people to have easy access to the vaccine, and last year, had worked with the NHS to run flu jab clinics in the Corn Exchange.

'Give something back'

"The NHS already knew how the building operated which meant they also knew they could work the building well and get people in and out quickly and safely," he said.

He thanked volunteers, such as Colin Meeke, for their contribution to the historic Covid-19 vaccine roll-out.

Mr Meeke, 60, has been volunteering since the end of January, and said the operation was running like a well-oiled machine - despite being very cold at times.

"It's nice to be able to give something back to the community, and people have been really chuffed to get their jabs."