Reservist Gerard Hardy is leading a team delivering military support to underpin the roll-out of mass Covid-19 vaccination by the NHS across the Yorkshire and the North East.
In his civilian life, Gerard is schools liaison manager for the RFCA for Yorkshire and the Humber.
Reserve support
But in his military career, he is a Major with The Royal Logistic Corps deployed to British Army’s Headquarters 1 Division, based in York. He has been mobilised in support of the national Covid-19 effort since last March and is currently lead military liaison officer for the vaccine taskforce in the region.
Gerard is pictured at York’s newly operating mass Covid-19 vaccination centre next to Tesco on the city’s Tadcaster Road.
Only reservist
“I head a team that includes 19 full-time regular Army medics and our role is logistics planning and supporting the mobilisation of new sites as vaccination centres,” he said.
“I’m the only Reservist on the team and one of my tasks is to deploy medics to plug any shortfalls the NHS may have in manpower. So, for example, we have a team doing Covid vaccinations in the North East and have been helping to prepare a site in York for the start of mass vaccinations.”
Gerard, who is a dad of two and lives in the East Riding of Yorkshire, said: “The country is facing an historic health challenge and so it’s been good that my role in the reserves has given me the opportunity to get involved and make a positive contribution.”