Reaching out – vaccines on the move

KCHFT teams have been at the forefront of the outreach vaccination programme, getting out and about in local communities to vaccinate eligible people who might find it hard to visit a large vaccination centre, including the homeless and people with a learning disability. Our mobile dental unit transporting the life-saving vaccines safely in refrigerators until needed.

East Kent Mencap opened its resource centre in Ramsgate to host an outreach clinic, supported by KCHFT learning disability nurses who allowed extra time to work with each patient as they received their vaccine. Gavin Harrington, 40, is really looking forward to seeing his friends again after he had his vaccine at the clinic with the support of his father, Kevin.

Kevin said: “I never would have thought Gavin would have been so calm to receive his vaccine. The fact that he was is because he was in a space he knew without any crowds. In the past, he has really struggled with needles and I wasn’t sure if he could have the vaccine, but as soon as we were asked if he would like to attend the clinic at Mencap, we knew we had to give it a try to help him get protected. I am so glad that something like this has been created to support Gavin and other people with a learning disability.”