For eight centuries, the cathedral of Salisbury, England, has grown on believers. Now it hosts hope, such as 85-year-old Daphne Morant, who recently joined more than 1,000 people who were vaccinated here against COVID-19 in one day.
When people enter, they register and sit at a stand. Because the cathedral is so spacious, 12 people can be vaccinated at the same time. These are then monitored for side effects.
“I didn’t feel anything,” Morant told Roxana Saberi of CBS News after she was shot. “It’s just cold, you know, when you’re waiting. That’s the only thing I can say!”
While waiting at safe social distances, he relaxes with Bach and Handel’s organ music. David Halls, the musical director of Salisbury Cathedral, said: “Remember, they haven’t heard live music in months!”
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It is an unusual place to treat patients. But Dr. Michele Giorgi said it is ideal for administering a large number of Pfizer vaccines, which break down quickly at room temperature.
“It allows us to adapt the space to what we need in terms of vaccinations, observation areas and exits,” said Giorgi. In addition, the cathedral is in a central location: “Everyone knows where it is. It’s not hard to find. “
The United Kingdom has now vaccinated more than six million people. This gives it the third highest per capita vaccination rate among the major countries (behind Israel and the United Arab Emirates).
Across the UK, other closed block sites have been turned into mass vaccination sites, with people lining up at horse racing tracks, a rugby stadium and a cinema. “Too bad no movie was put on, ha ha!” said a vaccinated woman.
Officials say nearly a tenth of the population has already received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
Other countries are also setting up makeshift mega-sites in unconventional locations, such as a food court in Moscow, a museum in Beijing and next to the iconic “Christ the Savior” statue in Rio de Janeiro.
Israel, which leads the world in per capita vaccinations, is now injecting up to 7,000 people a day into the historic Rabin Market in Tel Aviv. “Not only is it a common feeling and they can see their neighbors here, but there is only a sense of celebration,” said city spokesman Eytan Halon.
But in the European Union, vaccinations in hubs such as a skating rink in Berlin have stopped due to a lack of vaccines.
In the UK, too, officials are expecting delivery delays this week, threatening plans to deliver a dose of about 15 million people by mid-February.
Saberi asked Dr. Giorgi, “Is it going fast enough?”
“It never goes fast enough,” he replied.
As for those who have already rolled up their sleeves, they hope that this is a move towards more freedom. “I will see my son and daughter again, and that will be beautiful!” said a woman.
Despite progress in mass vaccinations, the UK still faces a more contagious variant of the virus. Officials are now considering tougher restrictions, such as stricter border controls and keeping schools closed until Easter.