Case study Reservist at heart of the North’s mass vaccination effort

Reservist, Major Gerard Hardy (Royal Logistics Corps) has been mobilised in support of the national Covid-19 effort since March 2020.

From:

Reserve Forces' and Cadets' Associations (RFCA)

Gerard is pictured at York’s newly operating mass Covid-19 vaccination on the city’s Tadcaster Road. Copyright YH RFCA 2021.

Pictured above at York’s newly operating vaccination centre, Reservist, Major Gerard Hardy (Royal Logistics Corps) has been mobilised in support of the national Covid-19 effort.

Major Hardy is currently lead military liaison officer for the vaccine taskforce in the region. His team is delivering vital military support to underpin the roll-out of mass Covid-19 vaccinations by the NHS across the Yorkshire and the North East.

I head a team that includes 19 full-time regular British Army medics and our role is logistics planning and supporting the mobilisation of new sites as vaccination centres.

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.

In his civilian life, Gerard is a dad of two and the schools liaison manager for the RFCA for Yorkshire and the Humber.

The country is facing a 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.