#UorWay: Pharmacy students, lecturer and alumni band together to vaccinate homeless people

A team of pharmacists from the University of Reading are tackling the COVID-19 crisis head-on by vaccinating homeless people in Central London.

Lecturer Gurinder Singh, fellow alumnus Maj Dal Singh Virdee, and a team of student volunteers have joined NHS-backed charity NishkamSWAT to help inoculate homeless and undocumented migrants in the capital.

The charity normally hands out meals to the homeless and vulnerable people but noticed that many of their clients hadn’t been vaccinated, despite falling into the priority categories.

Gurinder said: “Sadly, there is a lot of mistrust in those communities, so seeing people that they know and who regularly help them with food parcels and toiletries providing a vaccination service has really helped.”

The initiative is just one of the many ways Reading’s pharmacy students have been helping to fight the pandemic. Others have turned their hand to help deliver vaccinations in communities closer to home.

Third year pharmacy student Mahesh Mamman said: “Working in pharmacy and as a vaccinator throughout the pandemic has been one of the most exciting challenges I have embarked on. Being on the front-line whilst studying during such a time has enabled me to gain skill and expertise that usually comes with a lot more practice and experience.

“That being said, being able to support inclusion and create equal opportunity is what is truly rewarding to me: giving everyone a fair chance to receive their COVID-19 vaccination embodies the fundamental reason I chose to study pharmacy and is why I proudly volunteer and support organisations such as this one.”

Gurinder added: "University life offers so much more than just turning up to lectures or going on night outs. It provides us with opportunities to meet people from all walks of life and to learn from each other’s varied backgrounds.

“I am very proud of the members of our university community who have volunteered their free time to help others in this global crisis we are facing currently. Throughout the last year we have all made sacrifices and to see that community spirit shine through in what has otherwise been a tough year really makes me proud to be part of our university family."

Alumnus Maj Dal Singh Virdee, who graduated from the university in 2012 having studied pharmacy and now leads the NishkamSWAT Healthcare Project, said: “I feel grateful to lead [the project] as it allows me to use my pharmacy knowledge as well as being able to use my military planning skills to improve the health of the homeless.

“Improving access to the covid 19 vaccine is a critical step in winning our fight against this global pandemic.”

The charity will be delivering the second dose of vaccines in June and hope to visit more areas. To find out more, visit www.swatlondon.com.