I am today appealing to everyone who hasn’t had a vaccination in my constituency, especially the 18-30 year olds, to do so as soon as possible. The number of vaccinations in the constituency is higher than the national average but there are still more people to come forward.
In Thirsk and Malton 88% of all adults have received a first dose with 72% having received both doses. In the past couple of weeks 73% of 18-24 year olds have come forward for their first dose so there is still a large percentage left. The number for the over 65s is 95% with 90% of 50-54 year olds having received both doses.
The only reason we are able to end the social and economic restrictions on July 19th is because of the continued effectiveness of the vaccine programme but we need to keep the pace up. The vaccine take-up in Thirsk and Malton is very good but there are still many of all ages, especially the 18-29 year olds, who haven’t yet come forward. Today I am calling on all those who haven’t had their first jab to do so and to everyone waiting for their second injection to make sure they have it as soon as they can.
Every adult will have been offered a first jab by July 19th and the chance to be double jabbed by mid-September.
This vaccination programme has already saved thousands of lives and thousands more will be protected if everyone takes advantage of the vaccinations on offer. The chances of dying from covid if you have had both jabs is slim. It’s important we all understand that the pandemic is not over yet and the numbers are still rising, including in my constituency, but that we are moving to a new phase of personal responsibility, which includes everyone taking part in the vaccination programme. Please take advantage of the pop up clinics across Thirsk and Malton to do so.
Amanda Bloor from the North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group said “We would urge everyone 18 and over to take up the offer of a vaccination to protect themselves, their families and their communities. It is also extremely important to return for your second dose to gain maximum protection from the vaccine. Coming forward for vaccination is the best thing that everyone can do to enable us all to get back to enjoying some of the freedoms that we have been missing.”
Step four of the lockdown-lifting roadmap is expected to be confirmed next week for July 19th. The Prime Minister made clear that the emphasis will switch from government edicts to personal responsibility. There will be no more limits on social contact to allow people to gather in groups of any size; it will be the end of social distancing except in specific places like airports; remaining businesses can reopen; there will be no capacity limits on large-scale events, such as sports matches, theatre shows or concerts; face masks will not be legally required in shops or on public transport; people will no longer be required to work from home and no further limits on the number of people visiting care home residents.
