Nearly 100,000 adults across Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire have not yet come forward for the lifesaving Covid-19 vaccine.
Health officials are now urging those who remain unvaccinated to get the jab as quickly as possible, as doing so now will ensure more people are protected against coronavirus during the upcoming Christmas and new year period.
Across the region, 92,527 adults eligible for the vaccine have yet to take up the offer, with Wiltshire’s unvaccinated total currently standing at 37,212.
Elsewhere, Bath and North East Somerset has 28,037 unvaccinated adults, while Swindon has 27,278.
Gill May, Director of Nursing and Quality, said: “History tells us that coronavirus case numbers go up when people mix more indoors, and with the party season about to begin, I would ask those who have so far refused the vaccine to think about how their decision could have adverse consequences for those around them this Christmas
“Remaining unvaccinated not only increases a person’s chances of catching coronavirus, but it also makes them more likely to pass it on to others, and I would hate for an innocent family celebration in late December to be the reason behind a serious hospital admission in early January.
“Covid-19 is still very much with us but, by having the vaccine, we can restrict its prevalence, limit its severity and, most importantly, protect ourselves and our loved ones from falling seriously ill.”
Covid-19 vaccines, including first, second and booster doses, continue to be available at vaccination centres across the region, including Bath Racecourse, Salisbury City Hall and the Steam Museum in Swindon.
Some community pharmacies also offer the Covid-19 vaccine, although these three larger venues usually have the best appointment availability, with new slots being added at each of the sites on a regular basis.
Since last December, more than 1.6 million vaccines have so far been given out across Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire.
This figure includes more than 755,000 first doses, around 703,000 second vaccinations and approximately 183,000 booster vaccines.
While some local vaccine sites are offering walk-in vaccinations, people are strongly advised to book an appointment using the National Booking Service, which is available online at http://www.nhs.uk or over the phone by calling 119.
For more information about the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine, including an extensive list of frequently asked questions, visit http://www.bswccg.nhs.uk.
Hmm, for those who like to score political points using(abusing) Statistics, one of your comparisons shouts out to me. The Conservative-controlled Wiltshire has far more unvaccinated adults than the Lib-Dem controlled B&NES. Please don’t let this ‘statistic’ fall into the hands of the Rt Hon Hobhouse in case she weapon-ises it.
But seriously, the message is clear :-
1. There can’t be that many adults in either Wiltshire or B&NES for whom the vaccination, itself, is potentially harmful. So clearly many adults clearly don’t give a damn about the health & wellbeing of their neighbours.
2. There are hundreds of thousands of people in those same regions who are vulnerable to catching the virus from those unvaccinated’s wandering around infecting them. If it was/is a crime to knowingly or negligently infect people with say, AIDS, then why isn’t it a crime to knowingly infect people with COVID? Perhaps it’s because AIDS is a socially unacceptable virus, whilst COVID is deemed acceptable? “Dead is dead”, as the Austrian Health chief would say.