Sheffield's first pop-up vaccination centre opens in mosque as director shares positive message

The clinic was held yesterday, Sunday, January 31, at the Jamia Mosque Ghuasia in Firth Park.

People aged over 70s, those classed as extremely clinically vulnerable and health and care staff received their Covid jabs, with GPs, nurses, pharmacists and staff and volunteers from the mosque all helping out.

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Just under 100 people were vaccinated during the day at the clinic, which was set up in conjunction with the Foundry Park Primary Care Network (PCN).

Jennie Joyce, clinical director of the PCN, said it had been such a success that they were considering returning to the mosque or opening other pop-up centres to help them reach more people.

"It was really positive. We approached the mosque a couple of weeks ago to ask if bringing the vaccine to them in the community would help, and they’ve been amazing,” she said.

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"Hopefully as we move down the cohorts (of the most vulnerable people, first in line to be vaccinated) we will be able to do it again. We've certainly had approaches from other places too.

"It’s about getting the vaccine out to more people. Uptake has been variable across different communities, and anything we can do to encourage those who are a bit less certain about getting the jab is important.

"It helps having it in a familiar place, with the message coming from people the community trusts at the mosque, which is also more convenient for many people to access.

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"It is a safe and effective vaccine and I would encourage people if they have any worries to speak to their GP or to someone from the community who has had it and can reassure them.”

Foundry PCN has been vaccinating people at the Flowers Health Centre in Wincobank, where Dr Joyce said jabs were due to resume from this Saturday following the latest vaccine delivery.

She said around 75-80 per cent of over-80s in the area had now had their first dose of vaccine and if enough supplies are available they should be able to meet the Government’s target of vaccinating everyone from the four most at-risk groups by mid-February.