Bristol City’s players came en masse to get their Covid-19 booster vaccinations today (Monday, December 20), and were praised by the club’s doctor for doing so.
The team bus brought the players the short distance from their training ground at the High Performance Centre in Failand to the Brockway Medical Centre in Nailsea, where they were all booked into the vaccination clinic together.
The squad and staff visited at lunchtime, after Monday’s training session which followed the 3-2 defeat by Huddersfield at Ashton Gate on Saturday.
READ MORE: Boss of Bristol's vaccine programme explains the plan to get everyone booster jabs
The issue of footballers being vaccinated against Covid has hit the headlines recently, with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s outspoken comments that he would think twice about signing a player who is not vaccinated against Covid-19, and labelled un-vaccinated players ‘a threat’ to the rest of the team.
Bristol City have had their share of vaccination controversy too, with Bermudan striker Nahki Wells criticised for sharing anti-vaccination conspiracy theories on his social media earlier this year, at a time when Ashton Gate was hosting the South West’s mass covid vaccination centre. Manager Nigel Pearson has also had his troubles with Covid-19, having been seriously ill the first time, grappling with long-Covid, and catching the virus a second time earlier this autumn.
Wells was a notable absentee from the squad who came to the Tyntesfield Medical Group session in Nailsea, along with a couple of other players.
Bristol City said only those ‘eligible’ for the booster vaccine were there - some had already had it, and others had only recently had their second jab, so couldn’t take part.
But team doctor Thom Phillips said more than 95 per cent of the players were vaccinated.
“It’s a testament to the staff at the club who have supported the players, given them really good information and allowed them to make the decision to come and get jabbed today,” said Dr Phillips, who is also a GP.
A spokesperson for Bristol City urged fans to get their covid-vaccines by visiting the local booking ‘Grab-a-jab’ booking service.
Saturday’s game at Ashton Gate was the first to require fans to produce an NHS Covid Pass, or proof of a negative Covid test.
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