US volunteers join Jewish GP’s campaign to help asylum seekers get Covid jab

The United Synagogue delivered clothes and toys to a group of asylum seekers at a vaccination drive organised by a Jewish GP.

Dr Sharon Raymond, director of the Covid Crisis Rescue Foundation (CCRF), held the event last month, as cases of the Omicron variant hit record numbers.

Through the organisation’s ‘Vaxi Taxi’ project, which hosted 20 pop-up vaccination clinics in 2020, CCRF collaborated with the Persian Advice Bureau, the Gateway Pharmacy, and Hannah Gerson of the Chesed department of the United Synagogue.

21 Asylum seekers living in temporary accommodation received the jab after CCRF organised transport to the pharmacy, where translators were present to ensure they could communicate.

Dr Sharon Raymond, who has raised thousands of pounds to support the pandemic effort, said CCRF is “extremely grateful to the US for their kind support” of the initiative.

“21 people got their jabs, some of whom had not yet had their first vaccine against COVID-19. The next event is planned for early January.”

She said the organisation “continues to work hard to devise ways to make health advice and vaccination accessible to the most vulnerable in our communities so that any barriers to reaching NHS care are overcome.’

United Synagogue’s Hannah Gerson said: “The United Synagogue Chesed department was delighted to support the pop-up vaccine centre and we provided clothes and wrapped gifts from our toy drive.

“We were also pleased to be able to help with some translation problems too!”