Plea for more Worthing volunteers to help with Covid booster roll-out

In light of the emergence of the Omicron variant, the government has accelerated its Covid-19 booster programme for those already double jabbed.

Worthing Borough Council leader Kevin Jenkins (Con, Gaisford) has called for more volunteers to come forward.

Vaccination centres rely on volunteers to act as stewards and assist patients before and after they are vaccinated.

“I would just implore the army of 500,000 people who stepped up as volunteers across the UK the first time – we need those volunteers to step up now,” Mr Jenkins said.

“Come and join myself and the others who work at the vaccination centres as volunteers or as administrators.

“By doing that, we will get people boosted, we will get people vaccinated.”

The council leader said that vaccination centres in Worthing had ‘stepped up’ in the last 24 hours and some were operating ’14 hours a day, most days of the week’.

“The council stands ready to provide the same support during this part of the pandemic, should we find it worsens, as it did in the early part,” Mr Jenkins said.

By the end of Monday (December 13), 87,548 people in Worthing had been given a first dose and 81,154 people had been given a second dose.

WBC’s executive member for health and wellbeing, Sean McDonald (Con, Northbrook), said that 37,000 Worthing residents had received a booster jab.

“Getting vaccinated is an important part of the fight against the virus in Worthing,” he added.

He encouraged residents to continue booking jabs and booster jabs despite queues on the NHS website.

“If you can get your booster jab done, get it done before the end of the year; it’s being offered to everybody,” he added.

Mr McDonald said the council is doing ‘everything it can’ and officers were on hand to continue to support businesses and residents with any new regulations and restrictions.