The number of people getting vaccinated in the north of Trafford is on the increase thanks to the efforts of the community.

In February local public health officials saw that the uptake of the Covid-19 vaccination was lower in the north than other parts of the borough.

As of March 24, 92% of Trafford’s over-65s had been vaccinated but this figure is lower in the north of the borough. This reflects a national trend of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities having higher than average levels of concern about the vaccination.

A combination of community engagement and pop-up clinics is encouraging more residents to be vaccinated by promoting confidence in the vaccine.

Clinics are being held in community settings many people are familiar with which are closer to some people’s homes than their GP surgery. The clinics are being supported by local volunteers who want to see their community protected against Covid-19.

On Saturday, March 20, Limelight, owned by Trafford Housing Trust in Old Trafford, hosted two vaccination sessions. A morning session held for people invited by local GPs, including Limelight Health & Wellbeing Hub based at the venue, enabled nearly 200 people to be vaccinated.

In the afternoon a session was run by Everest Pharmacy in conjunction with the local mosque, Masjid-e-Noor. The mosque engaged with their congregation about the vaccination which led to 50 people who had previously not been vaccinated being immunised at the clinic.