Anderson Moores Vets Helping Covid Vaccination Programme

The vets, from the Linnaeus-owned Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists in Winchester, were quick to offer their medical skills and knowledge to help treat humans as part of the country’s ongoing battle with coronavirus.

Anderson Moores’ head of internal medicine Amanda Paul, surgery specialists James Grierson, and Andy and Alison Moores, and imaging technician Hazel Bates have all volunteered their expertise.

Amanda, who has been volunteering in Millbrook, Southampton, has even received a marriage proposal while administering the vaccinations through HANTSAR, the Hampshire search and rescue team and the St John’s Ambulance Brigade!

She smiled: “I have had one marriage proposal and an option to have a marriage arranged for me, and one request to contribute to an online blog about the difference between vets and doctors!

“I have been working at Oakely Road, in Millbrook, since early January on my days off and weekends. It is an NHS site which delivers both Pfizer and AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine.

“It is a great and positive atmosphere, and some people are commenting this is the most people they have seen in ages.

“To begin with, of course, we mainly saw people who were a combination of older, vulnerable and essential/key workers, and sometimes whole workplaces are scheduled at the same time for their vaccine.

“I had one person ask if the vet could give them their jab rather than someone else and it’s nice to know we can still engender trust.

“Many people actually know very little about the vaccine and so you often end up talking a lot about how it works.

“There’s a practical side, too. You must have had training and completed both practical and theoretical training from fire marshalling and management, manual handling to management of anaphylaxis, legal duties and knowledge of the immune system and the individual vaccines.

“You also need to have had training in managing conflict, safeguarding and PREVENT (which looks to prevent radicalisation). All vaccinators have also undergone an enhanced DBS check.

“So, it’s very involved and professional but has also been very uplifting and quite a lot of fun.”

Anderson Moores provides specialist-led care in orthopaedics, soft tissue surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, internal medicine, cardiology, dermatology, oncology, anaesthesia, diagnostic imaging, dentistry and physiotherapy.

For more information visit www.andersonmoores.com or search for Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists on social media.