By Prof Gino Martini

Trustee of the Harlow Health Centres Trust (hhct.org.uk)

Former Chief Scientist of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society

THE Lister Medical Vaccination Centre celebrated their one year birthday in style as they answered Boris’s challenge to Booster all adults by end of 2021.

They say a week is a long time in Politics but in these COVID 19 time – a week is literally glacial – as things move so so quickly!

When I wrote the last blog last week, little did I realise that Boris Johnson would bring forward the whole adult booster vaccination programme towards the end of this year!

This weekend alone the tireless team at the Lister vaccinated over 4000 people from Friday to Sunday Evening –  delivering way above what is needed to meet the Government’s target!

I say tireless but in this year – the team have stepped up when it is needed and stepped up again when more was needed often at short notice!

But to tell you the truth the team is tired, they are after all flesh and blood and many doing their vaccination role in their spare time and many doing it as volunteers. 

Trust me they are tired, their backs ache, their knees are sore and they too have Christmas to prepare for with their families.  The team could easily have given up and been disilusioned but yet they acted as true professionals and they rolled up their sleeves and just got on with it.

It really is an honour and a privilege to be a part of this team and to work with them this weekend– it s a true fellowship of like minded individuals who want to care for their community – they are heroes in my mind!

It is also heartening to see so many people wanting to receive their booster and taking a step forward to protect themselves, their loved ones and the NHS from yet another damaging pandemic!

To those who are still undecided – please obtain your booster, please look after your community!

Please Remember:

1. Vaccines are safe, they are not new and they were first ‘discovered’ in 1796 by Edward Jenner – yes that’s right in 1796!
2. Vaccines helped eradicate the scourge of ‘Small Pox’ – which is the only human disease ever to be eradicated!
3. Nearly 8.38 billion doses of a COVID-19 vaccine has been administered across 184 countries – circa 40 million doses per day!

To the team at Lister Medical Centre – I salute you all – Bravo!!  I wish you and all your families a wonderful Christmas and I will see you all again on the 29^thDecember!