VAX THE WAY TO DO IT
MORE big firms have joined our Jabs Army drive — with tens of thousands of volunteers helping vaccinate the nation.
Amazon and Virgin are the latest on board, urging staff to sign up.
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A million workers are being urged by their bosses to join The Sun’s Jabs Army drive.
Retail giant Amazon is asking its 40,000 UK staff to join and tech firm Virgin Media encouraged 12,000 workers to follow suit.
Theme park giant Merlin and its 10,000 employees are also backing the rollout, taking potential recruits to 62,000 in one day.
They join the likes of BT, Sky, BA, John Lewis, Waitrose, Santander, Tui and Capita who are already behind our campaign.
By last night, 28,000 readers had signed up to become Steward Volunteers after we launched Jabs Army on New Year’s Day.
They will ensure the safe and smooth operation of NHS vaccination centres so 15million Brits can get immunised by March.
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How to sign up
VOLUNTEERS for the Jabs Army are being asked to first register online at nhsvolunteerresponders.org.uk
You will then receive an email with log-in details to sign up online.
Finally, you will be asked to download the GoodSAM app on a smartphone which will match you to a role in your area.
Services will be opening in the coming days and weeks, with different areas up and running at different times, so you might not be required on site for some weeks. Not everyone who signs up will need to be called upon.
You need to commit to only two six-hour shifts a month at a vaccination service, and no prior experience or qualifications are required.
You will work as part of a team that will include NHS staff and volunteers. The Royal Voluntary Service will conduct appropriate background checks.
Amazon’s John Boumphrey said: “Since the start of the pandemic we’ve worked to support communities and our customers across the UK.
"We’ve delivered more than two million healthy breakfasts to children at risk of hunger with the charity Magic Breakfast, supported the UK government’s testing programme by distributing over six million COVID-19 testing kits free of charge.
"We’re proud to be backing the campaign from the Sun and the NHS Volunteer Responders to raise awareness and help recruit more volunteers for the vaccination programme.”
Virgin Media chief operating officer Jeff Dodds added: “We’re proud to roll up our sleeves to help get this vital jabs job done.
"We’ll let our people know how to volunteer.”
Merlin’s Nick Varney said he was “delighted” to support the drive, adding: “This is a proactive way we can help.
Music tour mogul John Giddings also has thousands of skilled people ready to operate venues as vaccination centres.
Jackpotjoy owner Gamesys, an online bingo and betting firm, has also signed up to the campaign.
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The Solo boss said: “Places like The O2 and Manchester Arena, which are currently sat empty, would be perfect.
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"Our staff would love to get started on this vital national project.”
- Sign up at nhsvolunteerresponders.org.uk
Jabs Army jabbed
By Mike Ridley
JABS Army volunteers will get the vaccine, the NHS has revealed.
They are to be classed as “protected workers” along with doctors, medics and nurses.
NHS bosses aim to vaccinate “a significant number” of their frontline staff by early February.
And the jab will also be given to other health care workers, including volunteers, in the following weeks.
Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Confederation, said: “It is right to prioritise frontline health and care staff — irrespective of which part of the sector they work in or whether they are a student or volunteer.”
Vaccinations will be prioritised according to local risk assessment.
The Sun says
GIVING priority in the queue for the vaccine to volunteers who help deliver millions of jabs is a masterstroke.
There have been a great many mis-steps in the Government’s handling of the pandemic but there are signs immunisation will not be another.
Matt Hancock says we are on course to vaccinate all over 18s by the Autumn.
With the Queen and Prince Philip now leading by example, vaccination superhubs will open offering four jabs a minute.
We are now jabbing more people than any country on the Continent.
The beginnings of herd immunity in some areas and the rollout today of quick turnaround workplace testing means we can see the sunny uplands of hope coming in Spring and Summer.
What better way to reward those amazing Sun readers who have joined our Jabs Army than to give them the protection their noble sacrifice deserves?
Sign up today.
Sun visits Danbury Medical Centre as elderly and vulnerable receive Covid vaccinations
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