2/ As I have moved between our somewhat quieter vaccine sites recently and speak to staff including #volunteers they often look a little forlorn these days and ask ‘why do you think young people aren’t as keen to get the #covidvaccine?’
3/ we are infact doing relatively well in #bolton with higher than average uptake rates in our 18-24s. The day over 25s became eligible we were optimistic to see over a million vaccines booked in 24 hours in England. I’ve seen thousands of keen young people take the #vaccine
4/ The @ONS reported last month that 13% of ‘the young’ were vaccine ‘hesitant’; the highest of any group and I don’t think anyone working on the frontline will say they haven’t noticed this despite the urgency of some teens it does seem harder now..
5/ I can’t help thinking the earlier reassuring messages of #covid being a disease of the ‘old’, ‘frail’, ‘Comorbid’ embedded a sense of disconnection in our young that is now proving difficult to reverse. Despite believing it wasn’t a risk to them they’ve paid in several ways
6/ true that age is the biggest risk factor for serious covid but it’s also true that young, healthy people are being admitted to hospital and tragically in less common instances dying. As a doctor mum with a simple way to prevent this in a fridge I find this devastatingly hard.
7/ for those who get better from #covid I would guesstimate we know less about the long term effects of this ravishing disease 🦠 than we do about the vaccine. The vaccine made on a background of experts, knowledge and work on similar vaccine bases v. #Covid a relative unknown
8/ many tell me they are worried about side effects. I gave the very first #bolton #covid vaccine in Dec 20 and felt anxious. It was new. It felt life changing. Since then we’ve remet tens of thousands of patients for dose 2 and many had few or no side effects. Well over 200,000
9/ those that tell me they ‘were bad’ after it I express relief to them that they had the vaccine before the real #covid got hold of them. Imagine how ill that would make you? The real thing not a mild mimic non live version of it!
10/ some are angry with authority, the gov. Is #covid even real? I empathise with their anger I can see how much it eats them and I know it’s changed their life but I’m a doctor, I’m here to save lives not take them or do harm. I’ve devoted many days and nights to protect them.
11/ they can be angry I get it, they are fed up of being told what to do and not do- I get it. None of that changes the fact that #CovidIsNotOver and every unvaccinated person leaves us open to mutations, rising rates, restrictions and a life that we still long for. We are tired
12/ I’m a mum of 3; my oldest only just a teenager. This isn’t the world I envisaged for them, for anyone but I believe we can get through this. Together. What are we achieving divided? #takethevaccine
13/ finally;theres a lot of misinfo about effects on #fertility etc. no robust evidence for most of it. Ensure you are seeking accurate information from medical professionals. There are thousands like me who just want an end to the misery of #covid. We aren’t in a conspiracy.
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