THE MILLIONTH Covid vaccination in Coventry and Warwickshire has been administered in Rugby.
The milestone was achieved when Rugby man Shan Aravindan attended the town’s vaccination clinic at Locke House in Woodside Park on Thursday (June 10).
The 50-year-old was attending the centre for his second dose of the vaccination after it was brought forward from 12 to 8 weeks since his first jab.
Shan, a dad of two teenagers, said: “I am thrilled to be the one millionth patient, it feels like being part of history.
“I was here getting my second dose as I know it is what gives the best protection against coronavirus.
“I would urge anyone who has been invited to get it. As soon as it’s my 19 year old son’s turn to get vaccinated, I will be encouraging him to take it.”
It came almost six months to the day since the first person in the world received their vaccine in Coventry.
Since then, hundreds of staff and volunteers across the region have delivered the vaccination programme in cricket clubs and golf courses, churches and mosques, community centres and council halls, GP practices, hospitals, pharmacies and even a vaccination ambulance – as well as a large Vaccination Centre set up in Stoneleigh National Agricultural and Exhibition Centre.
Dr Norman Byrd, Clinical Director for the Locke House Vaccination Centre, said: “It’s been a wonderful achievement to have vaccinated so many patients at Locke House. As a ‘wave one’ site, we were one of the very first local vaccination centres.
“The vaccinations have been administered by a truly wonderful partnership between the 12 Rugby practices and a large group of volunteers. We were delighted when we hit 63,000 vaccinations; since then the number has risen steadily.
“While we have almost finished vaccinating the first nine groups as identified by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, we’re about to turn our attention to Rugby’s younger residents.
“I would urge everyone to book their vaccination the moment that they receive their invitation.”
Alison Cartwright, Senior Responsible Officer for the vaccination programme in Coventry and Warwickshire, said: “The millionth vaccination is a huge milestone and it something for us to celebrate, we have come a long way in six months.
“I am incredibly proud of what has been achieved in this relatively short amount of time and would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in the local vaccination programme, they are a credit to the NHS and to the patients we serve.
“I would reiterate Shan’s advice and remind people to attend for their second dose of the vaccine as you need both doses to give you the maximum protection from the vaccine.”
