A Christian couple in Somerset want to play their part in helping poorer countries get access to the covid vaccine.

Revd Scott Patterson and his wife Rowan have set up a JustGiving campaign called "Twin My Vaccine".

They are encouraging those who have already had their vaccine to make a monetary donation equivalent in value to the vaccine they have received themselves for free.

Speaking to Premier Christian News, Rowan Patterson explained how it´s only natural to want to share the basic rights which we in the UK are privileged to have access to. She continued that this year, rather than running water for example, the basic right in focus is the vaccine.

It was this realisation that triggered the idea for the “Twin My Vaccine” campaign.

“My husband is often looking for ways to encourage our congregations to sponsor particular areas or charities. As quite a lot of our friends in the church were starting to say, “Hooray, I'm getting my vaccine!”, we thought: “Why don't we connect that with this month's giving?” Why don't we say: “If you get your vaccine, give to somebody who's helping other people in poorer countries get the vaccine.”

Around 130 countries haven't yet started their vaccine rollout programmes because they are unable to afford the jabs.

On Friday, speaking at a virtual meeting of G7 leaders, Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged to donate the UK’s surplus vaccine supplies to poorer countries. The UK has ordered more than 400 million doses so far, a quantity sufficient to vaccinate the UK populate three times over.

The UK’s spare jabs will be given to the UN’s global vaccination programme, COVAX, which is coordinating the distribution of surplus vaccines to those countries most in need.

Donations raised from the “Twin My Vaccine” campaign will be donated to UNICEF, which is also partnering with the UN as part of the COVAX initiative.

“The government have paid somewhere between two and 15 pounds per dose,” Mrs Patterson said.

“As we give, it will go into [UNICEF’s] funds which they can then use to provide access to vaccines. They're involved in helping governments get access to these doses, and also [providing] the infrastructure [for] actually delivering them to communities, which might be quite remote.”

Twin My Vaccine has raised more than £21,000 so far. To find out more and to donate, click here.