VACCINE CAMPAIGN: 25,000 COVID-19 DOSES ADMINISTERED AT THE SDF VACCINE HUB

• Inaugurated in June 2021, the vaccine centre of the Treviglio-based multinational, a leading manufacturer of agricultural machinery, became the Regional Hub in October.
• The initiative was organised in collaboration with the health authority (ASST) for Bergamo West, the Civil Defence Service and the GP cooperative Iniziativa Medica Lombarda under the supervision of the Bergamo Health Protection Agency, and supports Phase 3 of the Lombardy region’s vaccine campaign.

Treviglio (BG), 25 January 2021 – 25,000 vaccine doses have now been administered at the SDF vaccine Centre in Treviglio (Bergamo). The centre was opened by in June 2021 by the multinational SDF – one of the world’ leading manufacturers of tractors, farm machinery and diesel engines - and was initially available to the company’s staff, their family members and company suppliers, before it was designated as the regional vaccine hub last October, to serve the entire community.

Vaccinations are currently being administered at the rate of 500 per doses per day. 80% are third doses, while the remaining 20% are first and second jabs. The percentage for the first and second doses rose in January compared to the 10% recorded in October and November.

SDF was the first company in the province of Bergamo to launch a local vaccine campaign and is still the only commercial enterprise organising this type of service, by providing its facilities and resources for the community and its workforce, who are very enthusiastic about the campaign. In December and January alone, approximately 900 staff and their families received vaccines at the company.

“Now more than ever the vaccine rollout is key to the protection of people’s health and for the national recovery - commented Lodovico Bussolati, CEO of SDF – The administration of 25,000 doses is an important milestone, which confirms our commitment and that of all the local authorities and health services, whom we would like to thank for their concrete support for the community in this area”.

The project, which the company pushed for in order to support the vaccine campaign, is the result of a close collaboration with ASST Bergamo Ovest, the Civil Defence Agency, the GPs’ cooperative and the Health Protection Agency. The hub will also be providing flu jabs to the vulnerable, the immune-deficient and the over 80s. In tandem with the Covid-19 vaccine, 3,000 flu jabs have been administered in recent months.

“We are pleased to be able to contribute to this project which is a first for the province of Bergamo – commented Mario Battista Sorlini, President of the cooperative Iniziativa Medica Lombarda – From the beginning, our cooperation with SDF has been guided by a strong sense of collaboration. Apart from the facilities they have provided, we greatly appreciated the company’s proactiveness and willingness to help. These factors are fundamentally important and meant we could work in the best conditions. We were also able to step up the vaccine rate to the full satisfaction of everyone involved”.

The vaccine hub is located in the auditorium at SDF’s head office in Treviglio (Bergamo), at Viale Francesco Cassani 15. There are 5 stations for the checking of medical data and administration of the vaccine. Vaccinations can be booked online via the dedicated platform https://prenotazionevaccinicovid.regione.lombardia.it/, by telephoning their call centre on 800 894 545, or at branches of Poste Italiane in Lombardy.