Oxford Health’s vaccination centre in Oxford has featured in a (March 28, 2021) broadcast of BBC’s Songs of Praise television programme.

The Palm Sunday episode is called Finding Hope and looks at the Oxford vaccine development and how it’s being rolled out in the city of its inception and by a dedicated team from Oxford Health.

You can watch it here on BBC iPlayer

Viewers can see Aled Jones meet Professor Andy Pollard, the scientist behind the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and listen to how his Christian faith and the prayers of people all over the world have helped and inspired him.

Aled then attends Oxford Health’s vaccination centre at the Kassam Stadium to witness at first hand the hope the jab is bringing to the community.

During filming earlier this month, Aled got to meet and interview Oxford Health Covid Operations Director Tehmeena Ajmal, the Trust’s head of spiritual and pastoral care Rev Dr Guy Harrison and Imam Monawar Hussein MBE, the inspirational Muslim chaplain at Oxford University Hospitals Foundation Trust.

The Imam has worked with in partnership with a range of health and social care organisations in Oxfordshire to inform multicultural communities about the vaccine and counter misinformation through impactful social media videos recorded in a range of languages.

Aled also interviewed St John Ambulance volunteers at the Kassam and spoke with members of the public about their stories of loss in the pandemic and how what receiving a vaccination meant to them.

Between takes Aled commented: “It’s really great to be here and see how professional and happy everyone is administering this vaccine that will hopefully mean we can get back to some semblance of normality. It’s a real beacon of hope for this area.

And he revealed: “If I was to have my jab anywhere other than where I live, I would have it here.”

It is not known what elements of the filming have made it through to the final edit, but Covid Operation Director Tehmeena Ajmal was in no doubt: “It was an absolute pleasure to welcome Aled and his crew to our centre to show how our team is vaccinating thousands of people each and every day.

“The BBC broadcast cannot happen at a better time as Oxford Health has now vaccinated 100,000 people across our vaccination centres in Oxford, Reading and Buckinghamshire.

“This scale of vaccination means that potentially a lot of lives and families have been saved from this terrible virus and I am proud that our Trust has played its part in the success of the NHS vaccination programme.

“I would like to encourage anyone who is over 50 or in a priority eligible group to make their vaccination bookings now. Appointments are still being taken for the remainder of the month.”

Our vaccination centres are able to vaccinate:

• people aged 50 and over
• people at high risk from coronavirus (clinically extremely vulnerable)
• people who live or work in care homes
• health and social care workers
• people with a condition that puts them at higher risk (clinically vulnerable)
• people with a learning disability
• people who are a main carer for someone at high risk from coronavirus

The order in which people will be offered the vaccine is based on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). Read the latest advice here

Vaccination appointments

You can wait to be contacted by your GP OR you can make (or change) an appointment for a Covid vaccination if you are eligible by calling 119 or visiting the national booking site. Please do not attend a vaccination site without an appointment.

If you have a booking for your second dose please make sure you attend your appointment.