More than 450 volunteers are needed in south London to help with the Covid vaccination programme after the government announced that booster jabs will be given this Autumn.

St John Ambulance are urging people to join them in administering the booster vaccine, which will be offered to everyone over 50.

Between now and September, the charity hopes to recruit and train 5,000 new vaccinators in areas of England most at need – including south London.

Craig Harman, the acting chief operating officer of St John Ambulance, said: “Many of the vaccinators I’ve spoken to over the last year and a half say that giving people their jabs has been one of the best experiences of their life.

“The satisfaction of protecting people and keeping the pandemic at bay is enormous, plus being part of St John opens up a whole range of extra volunteering opportunities where people can help their communities, like sharing lifesaving first aid skills or supporting our brilliant programmes for young people.”

The charity provides more than 1.5 million hours of support for communities on the frontline of the Covid-19 pandemic, including work in hospitals.

A big part of this work includes their drive to get the country vaccinated and protected from the virus, especially with cases now on the rise again.

Craig added: “We’ve been playing a vital role in helping deliver the NHS Covid-19 vaccination programme since it began.

“Our original vaccination volunteers have given more than a million hours of their time, and now we need more Volunteer Vaccinators to administer Covid and flu jabs this autumn, as well as ensuring we’re ready to support any surges in demand for vaccinations.”

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