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Stockport Council’s Director of Public Health, Jennifer Connolly, has encouraged residents to accept when offered a booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
In her weekly statement on the coronavirus pandemic, Jennifer Connolly echoed the concerns expressed by England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van-Tam that the virus, while currently most prevalent among school-aged children, was beginning to once again affect more at-risk, older age groups. Connolly revealed that there was evidence of this spread taking place in the borough, saying:
While the rates in Stockport remain highest among school-aged children, we have seen evidence of the virus starting to affect older age groups.
“Because of this, I urge all eligible residents to take up the offer of the COVID-19 booster vaccination when called. Boosters are necessary as vaccines lose their effectiveness over time and are offered 6 months after your second dose, so anyone who had their original second dose in May of this year should now be eligible for a booster vaccine. If you’re eligible, you should be contacted by your GP. However, if you have not been contacted but think you are eligible, you can book a booster dose through the national booking line.
“Looking at vaccinations, so far 86% of all aged 18+ have now received their first dose of the vaccine, 58.5% of those aged 16 and 17, and 23.5% of 12–15-year-olds. So far, 82.6% of those aged 18+ have received both doses. Of those aged 70+ 65% have had their booster jab.
“In terms of residents who are not eligible for a booster yet, we can all do our bit to help protect our older or vulnerable population from the spreading of the virus. It’s also never too late to get your first dose of the vaccine, just use the national booking line to get booked in.”
With children also returning to schools after the half-term break, Jennifer Connolly outlined how the council was advising education settings to mitigate the spread of the disease: encouraging pupils to wear face coverings while on transport to school and in communal areas, as well as asking parents to wear a face covering if they need to attend their child’s school. She also stressed the importance of regular testing, as well as ensuring good ventilation of enclosed spaces. Jennifer Connolly continued:
“I’d also like to remind families of the important of regular testing, particularly if one member of the family current has COVID-19. Free lateral flow tests are available online, at many local libraries and Stockport pharmacies and at Fred Perry House: you and your family (including children in school Year 3 and above) should take one of these daily for 10 days if someone in your household tests positive. If anyone in your family tests positive, you should keep them away from school and self-isolate, and book a PCR test to confirm the result.
“We can all help to protect all of our residents by continuing to follow COVID-safe behaviours such as regularly and thoroughly washing our hands, wearing face coverings in crowded or enclosed spaces (unless exempt), and opening a window to ensure rooms are well-ventilated when hosting guests inside.
“The national government are releasing a new campaign this week which compares COVID-19 particles to smoke, in that they fill a room or enclosed space and risk everyone breathing them in. Ventilation is key to ensuring that the particles disperse: windows only need to be open for a few minutes at a time to make a real difference to the spread of COVID-19 indoors.”
Jennifer Connolly concluded her statement with a reminder about other Council initiatives to help keep residents safe from Covid-19 and other seasonal illnesses this Winter, as well as to support residents’ mental health:
“Finally, I encourage all residents to take note of our Safe and Well winter campaign, which launched this week. Follow the council on social media or sign up for weekly news bulletins to access top tips for staying well this winter, as well as signposting to support services for a range of winter issues such as food poverty, money worries or mental health support. Stress Awareness Day was on Wednesday (3rd November), so there’s never been a more important time to reach out if you are struggling.”