Birmingham and Solihull NHS and Jaguar Land Rover have today (Friday 17 December) opened a vaccination centre at the manufacturer’s Logistics Operations Centre in Solihull to pilot an employer vaccination scheme.
The pilot – which assesses the benefits of taking vaccination centres to large workplace settings – involves an NHS-run clinic within the Jaguar Land Rover complex to offer employees, their friends and family and the local community the opportunity to be vaccinated.
Jaguar Land Rover has previously offered first and second doses of the vaccine to around 9,000 employees at its manufacturing plant in Solihull and is now giving boosters - not just to employees but to wider communities.
From today until Christmas Eve, the luxury vehicle manufacturer is also loaning vehicles to Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council so that it is able to provide free transportation to people from nearby who may otherwise find it difficult to get to the facility. The pilot will be analysed by the NHS to understand if this model can be expanded to other large employers to help get employees, their families and local communities vaccinated more quickly.
Dr Steve Iley, Chief Medical Officer at Jaguar Land Rover, said: “We’re pleased to be able to support the national vaccination effort by working with the NHS in Birmingham and Solihull. Getting vaccinated and boosted remains the best thing you can do to protect against getting seriously ill from COVID-19, so we’re encouraging all of our employees, as well as the local community, to come along.”
The vaccination centre is open every day from 8am-6pm until 24 December (closes 2pm on 24 December) to anyone over 16 to get their first and second doses, and for those eligible over 18 to have their booster dose. No appointment is needed.
Jane Clapham, Lead Nurse for the new vaccine centre said: “Working with Jaguar Land Rover and Solihull Council is a really positive partnership and a great step forward in ensuring that a significant number of people have the maximum protection available to them.
“COVID-19 infection rates are going up very quickly, therefore having the vaccine and particularly the booster, is the easiest way to protect yourself and your family as we head into Christmas. We now know that having the booster dose can provide up to 80% protection against Omicron so we would urge anyone who is eligible to take up the offer as soon as possible.”
Vaccinations at the Solihull Logistics Operations Centre will be carried out by the Birmingham and Solihull NHS Vaccination Programme, led by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, to the same safety standards as an NHS venue. The vaccinations are entirely voluntary; Jaguar Land Rover employees will be able to choose whether or not to have the vaccine.
More than 350 vaccines were given at the new centre in the first 4 hours, adding to the 2 million vaccinations have already been administered in Birmingham and Solihull since the programme began in December 2020.
