Vaccine: ‘Strong possibility’ of 24-hour jabs says expert

easyJet and Virgin Atlantic cabin crew are taking up the challenge of fighting against the rising cases of coronavirus in the UK. Flight attendants from both airlines are to support the NHS with the coronavirus vaccination programme. The addition to the airline staff’s CVs comes as many have been impacted by the virus and put on furlough.

According to easyJet, crew boast the “ideal skill set to be able to assist in the effort to provide much-needed inoculation support to the NHS in rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine.”

easyJet has 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 Cabin Crew are well-positioned to help in the nationwide vaccination programme.

Crew from both airlines who apply will be fast-tracked to become trained vaccinators at NHS vaccination centres across the country.

They will undergo online training and onsite immunisation training to become fully-qualified in administering the vaccine.

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Hundreds of easyJet crew are expected to sign up.

Katy Bryant who has been cabin crew for easyJet since 2005 and is based at Luton, commented on why she has applied to become a vaccinator.

“Like everyone, I’m incredibly grateful to our NHS and all frontline healthcare workers for all they continue to do for the country with the continued pressure they are facing from the virus, so when the opportunity came for cabin crew to assist the NHS as vaccinators I knew I wanted to apply,” she said.

“As cabin crew, we are in a great position to support the vaccination effort because of the first aid and safety-focused training we receive for our job, so I am sure I will be joined by many of my fellow cabin crew at easyJet who will want to support the NHS in the vital roll-out of the vaccine across the country.”

He continued: “We are very proud of our highly skilled people at Virgin Atlantic and since the beginning of the crisis we have received an amazing response with hundreds keen to sign up and support the NHS and frontline emergency services.

“Our people undergo rigorous training programmes in their roles which include medical, safety and customer service training and the NHS recognises the value and experience they will bring to this crucial mass vaccination programme.”

According to Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust Chief Executive Elliot Howard-Jones, airline cabin crew’s “first-aid and caring skills will make them ideally suited to help deliver the huge task we currently face.”

Flight attendants are well-trained to deal with onboard emergencies.

Up in the air, they have access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), supplemental oxygen and general first aid kits should anything go wrong.

“Crew members need to be able to provide excellent First Aid care whilst under pressure,” said British Airways.

BA’s Aviation Medicine course covers: managing onboard medical incidents, assessing the casualty, medical equipment and medication, medical conditions, practical session-bandaging, lifesaving skills overview, lifesaving – practical exercises, real-life scenarios and travel health and hygiene.

In more serious circumstances, an outside medical service provider can be contacted and the captain will decide whether a diversion is necessary.

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