A vaccination family affair at the NHS Covid-19 vaccination centre, Newham
- A vaccinator working at the NHS Covid-19 vaccination centre, Newham was able to vaccinate her own grandfather and provide some much-needed hope.
- Charlotte Taylor is a final year midwifery student and is doing her placement at The Royal London Hospital.
- More vaccinators are needed if you'd like to volunteer.
A vaccinator at the NHS Covid-19 vaccination centre, Newham, based at ExCeL London, caused a moving moment amongst staff when she vaccinated her own grandfather.
Charlotte Taylor, 26 from Sevenoaks in Kent is a final year midwifery student studying at City, University of London and currently doing her placement at The Royal London Hospital. She is working at the centre at the ExCeL London to support the vaccination effort.
Charlotte said: “I really enjoy working at the NHS Covid-19 vaccination centre, Newham. There’s a great atmosphere there. People are very happy and grateful to be receiving the vaccine. It is also great to meet other vaccinators, from paramedics, to volunteers, to nurses and doctors, to medical students like me. We’re all doing our bit to protect the most vulnerable from contracting this virus."
Charlotte found out her grandfather David Taylor, 82 had received his invitation letter to receive his Covid-19 vaccination and booked to get the jab at the centre where she’s working. Optimistically, they both hoped to see each other at some point during one busy day of injections on Sunday 17th January and perhaps wave to each other from across the centre.
However, to her pleasant surprise, Charlotte came out the pod she was vaccinating in to find her grandfather was next in line. Charlotte vaccinated her grandfather in a literal definition of the younger generation protecting the older one.
David said: “I found the experience getting vaccinated at the Excel tremendous. It is an extremely well organised place, with volunteers along the way directing where to go. I was able to be vaccinated by my granddaughter which was very special indeed. I had not seen her in the past year, so it was just nice to see her in person. Everyone there was so friendly and helpful. Thank you to everyone working at vaccination centres - you are uplifting our spirits and bringing our lives back to some sort of normality”.
Read more:
- Find out how to become a volunteer vaccinator here .