Pop-up coronavirus vaccination clinic at Northampton mosque to encourage harder-to-reach communities to get jab

Anyone over 50 who has yet to receive a coronavirus vaccination is invited to a pop-up clinic at a mosque in Northampton tomorrow (Friday, March 19).

The event organised by Northampton Communities Alliance (NCA) and the county's vaccination roll-out team is at Northampton Mosque and Islamic Centre on Clare Street from 2-5pm.

NCA chairman and borough councillor, Anamul 'Enam' Haque, hopes it will encourage more people from black and minority ethnic (BAME) and Asian communities to take the jab as there is some hesistancy.

"We just want people who have not been invited by the NHS or their surgery to have their vaccination as sometimes they have difficulty in contacting patients especially in some harder-to-reach communities," he said.

"So we're trying to encourage black African and BAME people to have their first dose and sometimes people feel sensitive about it but if they come to the mosque it might make them feel more at ease.

"Also some people have transport issues and have been reluctant to go to other places so we wanted to do it somewhere centrally located in town so they can walk but there is parking space too."

More than 250,000 people in Northamptonshire have had their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine since the roll-out started in December, according to the most recent figures.

Jabs have been administered at hospitals, GP surgery-led clinics and the mass centre in Moulton Park but pop-up events are being used to make it even easier for people.

Community leaders are asking people not to pay attention to negative messages about the vaccine and strongly encouraging everyone to have it when offered.

Chris Pallot, who is in charge of the vaccination roll-out in Northamptonshire, added: “We are grateful for the support of Councillor Haque and the Northampton Communities Alliance in setting up Friday’s pop-up clinic.

"Where there is an additional need, the local vaccination programme will try to be flexible and responsive to our communities to ensure as many local people are able to take up the offer of a vaccine.

“Our vaccination programme is progressing extremely well and thousands of local people are taking up the offer of a vaccine every day in our county at one of the community venues offering vaccinations..”

For more information, call Councillor Haque on 07773 469685 or email [email protected].