RAF delivers 5,000 Covid-19 vaccines to the Rock

Five thousand more doses of Covid-19 vaccines landed in Gibraltar on a Royal Air Force late last night.

The latest batch of vaccines to arrive on the Rock will be used in a booster programme for people over 50, for health and care staff and for the vaccination of 12-15 year olds.

A further additional supply of 7,000 doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine are expected from the UK in the next few weeks.

The vaccines were delivered by a military aircraft to RAF Gibraltar and were then escorted to Saint Bernard’s Hospital by multiple agencies.

Professor Ian Cumming, Chairman of the Gibraltar COVID-19 vaccination committee, said: “Once again the amazing vaccination teams at the Gibraltar Health Authority and Elderly Residential Services have swung into action with plans to ensure that eligible people wishing to have the recommended booster dose are able to do so in the evenings or at weekends over the next six weeks or so."

"This time round we anticipate giving in excess of 12,000 doses of vaccine to people over 50, the especially vulnerable, front line health and care staff, and young people. Approximately 50% of the world’s population have now been vaccinated against the virus that causes COVID-19 and the impact on the severity of disease and the reduction in transmission amongst the vaccinated is clear to see.”

Plans are now in place for the programme to start next week with booster doses to commence in ERS (for residents and staff) from Monday 4th October.

GHA and Care Agency staff booster doses will start being given from Monday 11th October in the evenings in the Primary Care Centre. Public booster vaccines will also be given from Monday 11th October in the evenings and weekends at the children’s Primary Care Centre.

People can register interest in the booster doses through the following link: www.gha.gi/pfizerbooster/.

Vaccinations for 12-15 year old children will commence in school after the mid-term break.

Consent forms and information leaflets for the children’s vaccination programme will be sent to parents in the next few days.