Mobile vaccine unit launched

Councillor Patricia Dale, deputy cabinet member for health Rochdale Borough Council (front) with NHS medical staff and the new mobile vaccine unit

The rollout of the coronavirus vaccine across the borough of Rochdale reached another milestone this week as the borough’s first mobile vaccination clinic took to the road.

Beginning its tour in the car park at The Strand Community Hub in Kirkholt on Thursday, over the next few weeks the mobile unit will be visiting local communities where uptake of the vaccine has been lower.

In just 2 hours, 90 people were vaccinated and the unit will be visiting car parks at Smallbridge Health Centre and the Golden Mosque in Rochdale over the next few days.

The council hopes that by bringing the council unit, which has been fitted out to enable teams to provide the jab in a clean and secure environment, right into the heart of the community it will make it easier for people to take up the vaccine.

The mobile clinic also doubles as a safe conversation space where anyone with questions or queries about the vaccine can talk to NHS healthcare professionals.

The mobile unit will be adminstering first doses of the Pfizer vaccine to people aged 18 or over at the following locations:

• ​​Tuesday 29 June 2021 1​2pm - 4pm
  Smallbridge Medical Practice car park, 21 Stevenson Square, Smallbridge, Rochdale OL12 9SA​
   
• ​Thursday 8 July 2021 1​1am - 3pm
  ​Golden Mosque car park, 8 Lower Sheriff Street, Rochdale OL12 6TG​

So far 133,926 people in the borough have had their first vaccine and 96,256 have had their second.

Councillor Patricia Dale, deputy cabinet member for health at Rochdale Borough Council said the mobile clinic will offer people a safe space close to home: “We have had a superb response to our vaccination programme so far, but there are some concerned people in our communities who have decided not to take up the vaccine for whatever reason. Although our pop-up clinics and main centres across the borough have been busy, not everyone can travel to them so this self-contained unit is small enough to be able to go exactly where it is needed.

“It’s important that people aren’t being discouraged to get protected because of misinformation so the unit provides space for queries and concerns to be discussed with healthcare experts. I hope many more people will benefit from this new service and, in turn, help stop the spread of Covid-19 among all local communities.”

“Even if you have previously said no to the vaccine, it’s not too late to change your mind, so do come along. There was a great atmosphere today and I hope this mobile clinic will further boost our efforts to reach those who up until now have been reluctant,” Councillor Dale added.

You can find details of all vaccine clinics in the borough including the mobile unit at rochdale.gov.uk/covidvaccine