Two large scale Covid-19 vaccination clinics will be running at the Manchester Central Mosque during the first two weekends in April.
The Central Mosque, in Upper Park Road, Rusholme, is the largest in the North West and is a focal point for communities living across Manchester.
In recent months venues in local areas have been vital in supporting the roll out of the Covid-19 vaccine. This has included places of worship, given their often central role in the lives of residents.
On Friday April 2 April, and Friday 9 April, clinics will be running to vaccinate patients registered at Longsight, Ardwick and Rusholme GP practices. It is hoped that around 250 people could be vaccinated on each of the two weekends.
Patients who are over the age of 50, or over the age of 18 and within the at-risk group (see notes to editors) will be eligible to receive a jab during the walk-in sessions, which will be running between 12pm and 5pm.
There will be multi-lingual staff on hand to support patients who speak Urdu or Bengali, as well as both male and female clinical staff to administer the vaccine.
David Regan, Manchester’s Director of Public Health, said: “Programmes such as this, where vaccination efforts are rooted in our communities offer the best chance of getting as many of us vaccinated as possible.
“This pandemic has caused all of us a great deal of anxiety and it is understandable that some people remain unsure about getting a vaccine. There can also be barriers which can make getting the vaccine more difficult for our communities. By providing clinics in trusted and convenient locations, and having staff who are multilingual, we are removing barriers that would otherwise stop someone getting their Covid jab.
“Local healthcare teams in Manchester will continue to work in our neighbourhoods to ensure that everyone, when their time comes, is able to get a Covid-19 vaccine safely.”
At-Risk Group:
The at risk group includes long-term lung conditions (such as severe asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis and cystic fibrosis); long-term conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels (such as congenital heart disease, heart failure); diabetes, chronic kidney disease, long-term liver conditions (such as cirrhosis and hepatitis), conditions affecting the brain or nerves (such as dementia, Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, cerebral palsy or stroke), learning disabilities, immunosuppression; severe mental conditions (such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder), severe obesity (a BMI of 40 or above)
