Covid-19 vaccination clinic opens up at Aylesbury Mosque

The place of worship on Havelock Street has transformed into a pop-up centre at the end of February, and is operated by members of the team at the Stoke Mandeville Stadium Vaccination Centre, with the support of key members of the community.

The centre/clinic is one of several in the town, as it joins many pharmacies that are conducting the jab, as well as Stoke Mandeville Stadium and Bucks New University’s Aylesbury campus on Walton Street.

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Dr Sajid Zaib, Clinical Lead for the Stoke Mandeville Stadium Vaccination Centre and GP at Oakfield Surgery, said: “The pop-up clinic went really well over the weekend and it was great to see so many people come to the mosque for their vaccination.

"It is part of our vision in Bucks to remove barriers to people accessing the vaccine.

Members of the vaccination team visit Aylesbury Mosque

“By actively engaging with the community, often with local healthcare professionals who speak the same language, we can reinforce our message about how important it is to get a vaccination in a very positive way.

“It is understandable that people may have some reservations about the vaccine, but it is really important to stress that the vaccine is safe and has been very rigorously tested.

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“There is also a lot of misinformation being spread about the vaccine that simply is not true.

“Covid-19 has badly affected people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, so it is vital that people from all communities take up their offer of a vaccination when it comes.

“It is the only way they can protect themselves, their loved ones and everyone around them as we try to get back to a more normal life.”

Pop-up clinics like the one at Aylesbury Mosque aim to encourage greater uptake of vaccinations with the support of trusted local figures.

More pop-up vaccination sites in Buckinghamshire are now being planned.

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Dr Raj Bajwa, Chair of NHS Buckinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group, added: “We would like to thank everybody at the Aylesbury Mosque for their invaluable support of the vaccination rollout and for helping make this pop-up site such a success.

“Initiatives like this are really important to ensure the vaccine reaches as many people as possible and we look forward to continuing to work with local communities across Buckinghamshire as the rollout progresses.”