NEW and returning students to Wiltshire College & University Centre have started their academic year by getting protected against coronavirus.

Dozens of young people lined up to receive the Covid-19 vaccine at the college’s Lackham Campus on Wednesday September 15 from Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire CCG’s mobile vaccination clinic.

The team of mobile vaccinators, who have taken the mobile clinic to all corners of the region in recent months, visited the Lacock site to offer the vaccine to 16 and 17- year-olds, following the government’s recent announcement that the age group would benefit from vaccination.

So far, more than 50 per cent of all 16 and 17-year-olds living in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire have already had the Covid-19 vaccine.

Megan Dellar, 16, was one of the first to be vaccinated on site and said: “Everyone has been so kind and friendly, and there is really nothing to be scared of.”

Megan also explained that her top reason for getting protected against coronavirus was to play a part in preventing further spread of the infection.

Anaiya Mosley, 17, said the experience of getting vaccinated at the college was calm and the team made everything very easy to understand.

She said: “It’s really important to protect those who are vulnerable, and having the vaccine is not that bad. It’s really good to have had it.”

Ben Coggan, 19, also received the vaccine and said that apart from having it to make his nan happy, getting protected against coronavirus would allow him to travel abroad with friends in the not-too-distant future.

Gill May, director of nursing and quality, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire CCG, said: “It’s fantastic to see a strong appetite among our young people for the coronavirus vaccine, and I hope that others in the same age group who have yet to take up the offer do so as quickly as possible.

“As the students of Wiltshire College have rightly pointed out, having the vaccine is not only vital for protecting others and stopping the spread, but also for ensuring we can return to safely doing the things we enjoy, such as seeing friends and going on holiday.”

Earlier this week it was announced that the Covid-19 vaccine would be offered to children aged between 12 and 15-year-olds, with around 45,000 in the region eligible for the jab.

Virgin Care’s Immunisation Service team will manage the vaccination of this age group and provide the vaccine in schools to children who, along with their parents, consent to be vaccinated.

Any person of any age can still receive the coronavirus vaccine by visiting one of many walk-in clinics operating across the region, all of which are listed online at www.nhs.uk.

For more information about the local rollout of the vaccine, visit www.bswccg.nhs.uk.