Teesside’s shipping community has lead the way in launching a new initiative to provide seafarers with Covid vaccinations.
The new programme, which was developed by Port Heath with support and collaboration from THPUA members, enables seafarers visiting the ports of Tees and Hartlepool to access local vaccination centres.
Gary Dawson, chairman of the THPUA said: “The pace that everyone has worked to get this initiative in place just goes to illustrate the strength of partnership working and collaboration we have among our shipping community in Teesside. The region has clearly got ahead of the curve in getting this set up so quickly when it is not necessarily available yet for other ports in the UK.”
Covid-19 vaccines are currently being offered to all people aged 21 and over and there is no nationality requirement or immigration status requirement for the Covid vaccination – essentially, anyone present in England is eligible.
There are a number of walk-in centres and bookable slots available for getting a vaccination. The service should be booked via shipping agents, who will need to submit names and dates of birth of those requesting vaccinations.