Meon Valley MP Flick Drummond's Letter from Westminster
This was published in the Hampshire Chronicle: https://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/news/19014451.meon-valley-mp-flick…
ACROSS the Meon Valley people in the top four priority groups - care home residents, over 70s, health and care workers and the clinically extremely vulnerable are now receiving their Covid jab.
This is the biggest vaccination programme the country has ever undertaken and it is now ramping up even though we remain in the grip of this awful virus.
The good news is we are on track to vaccinate those four groups by mid-February. It’s an ambitious target but the rollout is now gathering real pace. We have seven mass vaccination centres open in England, GPs have the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab, pharmacists are due to join the drive this week and soon we will have 1,200 locations giving out the vaccines.
Nearly everyone will be no more than 10 miles from a vaccination centre. Importantly, those who are ill or disabled do not have to go to a mass vaccination site, they can access closer alternative locations nearer to their homes.
As I write 2.6 million jabs have been given – by far the highest rates of any major country – by an army of 80,000. There is much to be proud and hopeful for and I thank all those behind the scenes and on the frontline, who are making this happen.
However, we are not out of this yet and we must also recognise the big problems the country faces. The infection rates are still far too high and there is the danger of overwhelming the NHS and more lives lost. I know people are fed up with this lockdown at such a dark and cold time of the year but we absolutely must adhere to the rules for the greater good while these vaccines do their work.
I’m sure everyone knows that protection takes a few weeks to kick in and until then the situation is serious. The projections show that, vaccinating these vulnerable 15 million who comprise 88% of Covid fatalities, will be a game changer in the coming months. But until that point, there is still far too much time for people in these groups to become seriously ill and die.
Other problems exist too, not least that schools remain closed and I am very concerned about the effect this is having on pupils both educationally and in welfare terms for those who are vulnerable. Schools themselves are safe and young people generally do not become ill from Covid, but they are vectors for infection and that is why they are closed.
I am pressing ministers to consider teachers receiving the vaccine as a priority so that we can get schools open again. I think this is vitally important and it will help the economy too as parents are struggling to juggle work with home schooling in many cases.
The spring looks like a different world for us from what is happening now. We just need to have fortitude and a good dose of patience while the vaccine comes to our rescue.
Please adhere to all the social distancing rules and all the regulations. Do not mix households or groups, wash hands regularly. Let’s make it one final push to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.
