Vaccine Bus returns to Teesside University campus

Hundreds of students, members of staff and people in the local community took up the opportunity to grab a jab when the Northumberland Roving Unit Vaccine Bus returned to Teesside University on 1 November.

The walk-in roving vaccination centre visited campus for a day this week to offer doses of the COVID-19 and flu vaccines to those eligible.

There was high uptake of the coronavirus jab, with 325 people receiving first, second or booster doses of the Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines.

The majority of those who received these jabs were between 18 to 24 years old, with a considerable number of international students taking this opportunity to receive their vaccine as well.

Members of the local community were also among those who received their jabs on the Vaccine Bus, helping to improve the levels of uptake in central Middlesbrough.

Sixty flu jabs were also administered throughout the day.

Sarah Bishop, COVID-19 Wellbeing Manager at Teesside University, said: ‘We were very pleased to welcome the Northumberland Roving Unit Vaccine Bus to Teesside University again.

‘It was fantastic to see so many people opting to receive their jabs on campus to play their part in protecting themselves and others.

‘The University is extremely proud to continue to be instrumental in the fight against coronavirus, promoting local efforts to increase uptake and improving accessibility to these vaccinations not only within Team Teesside, but in our community as well.’

COVID-19 vaccinations provide the best protection against coronavirus by reducing your risk of becoming seriously ill from the virus, as well as reducing the risk of catching and transmitting COVID-19.

With winter fast approaching, it is also very important to take up the offer of a flu vaccine, as experts suggest that more people are likely to get flu this year and research indicates that people are more likely to be seriously poorly if they get COVID-19 and flu at the same time.

There are plans for the Vaccine Bus to return to campus in December, with dates to be confirmed.

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