FARNHAM’s Covid vaccine roll-out is expected to ramp up next week, with the town’s vaccination hub poised to switch to a six-day service, delivering more than 2,000 doses a week.

It comes as more doses of the easier-to-store Oxford Astra Zeneca vaccine become available, adding to current supplies of the Pfizer vaccine which has already been administered to more than 2,000 elderly residents in the town area.

Farnham Hospital’s pop-up vaccine hub has so far delivered two batches of 975 vaccines of the Pfizer jab to over-80s, while almost 500 Oxford vaccines have also been given to care-home residents.

A further 1,050 doses are set to arrive today (Thursday), to be administered over the weekend, with more than 2,000 doses hopefully on the way next week. If all goes to plan, it is hoped Farnham’s entire over-80s population will be vaccinated by the end of next week – with the town’s care-home residents getting theirs by the end of the month.

Farnham’s over-70s will be the next group invited to receive their first doses.

It does, though, underline the need for volunteers to support the town’s vaccine programme, as was set out when the Herald launched its Fight for Freedom campaign in last week’s paper.

More than 150 people have responded to this call for volunteers to join Farnham’s vaccine volunteer force in the first week of the campaign.

And of those, more than 30 have volunteered to fill desperately-needed clinical and administrative roles.

A large number of those to offer their services are new volunteers – adding to the 400 already logged on the town council’s database of people who have already supported the community through Covid.

To find out which voluntary roles are needed, email [email protected] or call the Farnham Coronavirus Support helpline on 01252 745446, Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm.

* Find more on the Covid vaccine rollout locally in this week’s Herald.