Flight crews help in vaccination centres

LONDON - Virgin Atlantic and Easyjet teams - spanning cabin crew, pilots, ground and office-based teams - are set to work with the NHS over the coming months to assist with rollout the Covid-19 vaccine. Cabin crew with medical training will become "fully qualified to in administering the vaccine".

As flights remain low, Easyjet cabin crew are being "recruited and fast tracked" to support the NHS as part of the vital nationwide effort to distribute the Coronavirus vaccine, the airline said citing an "ideal skill set" of its cabin staff.

With over 3.000 crew who are first aid trained, security cleared and based up and down the UK in London, Bristol, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Belfast, Easyjet finds its staff "well positioned to help support the NHS in the nation-wide vaccination programme".

Crew who apply will be "fast-tracked to become trained vaccinators at NHS vaccination centres" across the country and will undergo online training and onsite immunisation training "to become fully-qualified in administering the vaccine", Easyjet said.

Along with Easyjet, Virgin Atlantic is also working with the NHS to secure voluntary and paid opportunities for its people at NHS mass vaccination centres to support with the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine.

"Rigorous training"

Since the Covid-19 pandemic impacted, many Virgin Atlantic employees, including those with medical training have been furloughed on the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, offering their time and skills to support the NHS and our communities in the fight against Covid-19.

"From administering the vaccine to patient welfare and managing the logistics of the vaccine centres, our people will undergo rigorous training in order to support NHS workers, to ensure patients enjoy a safe and seamless experience when receiving their vaccine," Virgin Atlantic said in a statement.