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Charles hails the efforts of NHS staff and volunteers delivering vaccine booster

The Lambeth GP Federation Covid Vaccinations Walk-In Centre has been administering 3,000 boosters a day.

Tony Jones
Tuesday 14 December 2021 19:06 GMT
The Prince of Wales (Hannah McKay/PA)
The Prince of Wales (Hannah McKay/PA) (PA Wire)

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The Prince of Wales has thanked volunteers and NHS staff at a vaccination centre as he saw for himself the push to deliver booster jabs to the nation.

Charles who last week revealed he and Camilla had received their Covid-19 boosters, hailed efforts at a makeshift clinic in Kennington south London.

He also spoke out against vaccine misinformation, saying at one point: “It is so frustrating all these nonsense conspiracy theories.”

The Lambeth GP Federation Covid Vaccinations Walk-In Centre – housed in a church hall – has been administering 3,000 boosters a day – which is 300 an hour.

Charles gave his personal backing to some of the 127 vaccinators and 190 volunteers working shifts around the clock.

A queue snaked several hundreds metres down the street, but people waited patiently and were quickly whisked through the queues.

Speaking to some of the hundreds who were resting after getting jabbed, he said: “So many marvellous people have been volunteering. I am glad you didn’t have to wait too long.”

He also spoke to Kate Suiter, a former picture editor who trained eight months ago to be a vaccinator.

Afterwards, she said: “He said thank you for helping and I joked that I had the gift of the jab and he laughed and said ‘I’m going to use that’.

The masked prince watched some of the vaccinators – which included university medical students – deliver the booster jabs to those who waited patiently.

Abdul Mukadam, 53, lead GP for Covid vaccinations for Lambeth, said afterwards: “Charles thanked and acknowledged every vaccinator and volunteer he met. He thanked them for the hard work they have been doing.”

He added: “Everybody has been doing their bit whether it is training as a vaccinator, coming as a volunteer or turning up to get the booster; and Charles was doing his bit by coming to acknowledge the efforts.

“It is a welcome acknowledgement and there are a lot of people out there in the whole country doing their bit and in a way this was an acknowledgement and thanks for all of them.

“The NHS couldn’t have done this on their own without all these volunteers.”

Charles also met Britain’s most senior GP, Nikki Kanani, medical director of primary care at NHS England.

Dr Kanani said afterwards: “Please come and get your booster there has never been a more important time to get protected it is vital protection for you and your family and loved ones before we come together for Christmas.”

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