A CONVERTED bus will roll into town to encourage people to have the Covid-19 vaccine.

The single-decker coach was unveiled this morning and is the latest tool being used by the region's NHS Clinical Commissioning Group in targeting areas where the jab take-up is low.

It will begin its tour in Swindon before visiting parts of Wiltshire and Bath & North East Somerset. Communities where there are high levels of vaccine hesitancy will be the first stops on the route.

The bus has been refitted to enable teams to provide the Covid-19 jab in a clean and secure environment.

The mobile clinic will also double up as a safe conversation space in which people with questions or queries can talk about their concerns with experienced healthcare professionals before deciding whether to have the vaccine.

Swindon Borough Council's director of public health Steve Maddern said: “The new mobile vaccination clinic will be an invaluable tool that will allow us to target areas with lower vaccination uptake.

“It is never too late to change your mind if you have previously said no to vaccination, and this new mobile clinic will be a huge boost in our efforts to protect those communities who, up until now, have been hesitant of the vaccine.

“It allows people to come along and have a conversation with health professionals if they are unsure about whether they want to have the vaccine and if you’re in the priority groups of 45 and over – or one of the other priority groups – then you will be able to be vaccinated on the bus.

“My understanding is that the NHS has done a soft launch this week to just make sure processes are working well and then across the next few months that bus will then travel across Swindon, B&NES and Wiltshire to those areas where uptake has been lower.”

Details of when and where the mobile vaccination clinic will be visiting will be advertised to specific communities through ongoing outreach work happening with community leaders, faith groups and public health workers.

The regional CCG's director of nursing and quality Gill May said: “Although we have had an absolutely phenomenal response to our vaccination programme so far, we know there are some concerned people in our communities who have decided not to take up the offer of the vaccine.

“We would hate for any person to put off getting protected as a result of misinformation, which is why our mobile vaccination clinic not only provides a space in which vaccines can be given close to home, but also a setting in which queries and concerns can be discussed openly and honestly with our teams of healthcare experts.

“The coronavirus vaccine has been designed to protect us all from a disease that does not discriminate, and I hope many people will benefit from this new service and, in turn, help stop the spread of Covid-19 among all local communities.”