COVID-19 in Lewisham - 29 January update
There are early signs that the COVID-19 infection rate is starting to decrease in London, but it is not declining as quickly as it did in response to national stay at home restrictions last March. The new variants, which are known to be easier to pass on, mean we will have to be even more cautious when restrictions are eased. For now, national stay at home restrictions remain in place, so please continue to follow the rules to protect each other and take the pressure off our NHS that is working so hard to look after all those seriously ill with COVID-19.
Every day as more people are vaccinated in Lewisham, we reduce the risk the virus poses to ourselves, our loved ones and the most vulnerable in our community.
Get the facts about the COVID-19 vaccination
Yesterday evening, I co-hosted a webinar for Lewisham residents with some local GPs, primary care and CCG colleagues on the COVID-19 vaccination where I had the chance to hear first-hand some of the concerns from local people about the roll out of the vaccination. Thank you to everyone who joined us. Over 600 people have now listened along to the two webinars that we have held and we have managed to answer lots of questions. There’s a real demand for information so we’ll be working to run more events, so look out for dates and encourage anyone you know who has doubts about the vaccination to join.
So far, we’ve had over 1,100 responses to our survey about the COVID-19 vaccination. We want to know more about how Lewisham residents will respond to the invitation when it’s their time for the vaccination, so we’ve been asking residents to complete this short survey.
We’re learning so much about what everyone thinks about the vaccination and I will share more on this in my blog each week.
Why should I get the COVID-19 vaccination?
The results of our survey have revealed what is motivating some Lewisham residents to get the vaccination. Here’s what you have told us so far.
Many people told us that ‘it’s simply the right thing to do’ and talked about a sense of duty to protect others and ‘set a good example’ to others. It’s true that hearing from family members, friends and neighbours who have had their vaccination is encouraging to others. I know that talking things through with some of my friends and family members before they went to get their COVID-19 vaccination really helped. Getting vaccinated not only protects you individually, but as more and more people come forward for vaccination, it increases Lewisham’s resilience towards COVID-19, meaning our NHS and hospitals will be in an even stronger position to look after those who are unwell.
We heard from people who are very aware of their own health vulnerabilities or perhaps live with someone who is seriously ill who told us underlying health conditions such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease would motivate them to get the vaccination as soon as it is available. Some were concerned about the side effects of the vaccination itself, but we know from clinical trials that very few people will be affected by side effects. You have to weigh up the benefits and overall, the protection the vaccination offers against COVID-19 – especially if you have underlying health conditions – far outweighs the minimal risk of side effects.
A lot of respondents talked about the hope the vaccination offered. Whilst it is not an immediate ticket to freedom, the roll out of the vaccination is a positive step so we can start to look forward to seeing friends, family and getting back to the life we enjoy. The Government has been clear that restrictions will not be eased until sufficient numbers of people – especially in the priority groups - have been protected by vaccination.
Hear from Lewisham residents who have just received the vaccination on their experience.
Please take a few moments to complete the survey and share it with others so we can gather views from across Lewisham’s diverse community.
So far, over 146,000 vaccinations have been delivered across South East London.
Please be patient and wait for the NHS to contact you when you are eligible for the vaccination. When it is your turn, please take up the offer. The COVID-19 vaccination is safe, and it is saving lives.
For accurate, up to date information on the vaccination programme and answers to some commonly asked questions, visit the NHS South East London CCG website.