With Hull City Hall now operating as the Humber region’s largest vaccination centre, Hull City Council’s Director of Public Health, Julia Weldon, has welcomed the development but said social distancing remains ‘as critical as ever’.
The council has provided City Hall, in Queen Victoria Square, in the city centre, which reopened its doors as a vaccination centre this week after months of closure. The facility will help heath partners in the NHS and City Healthcare Partnership CIC (CHCP) step up the vaccination rollout. A team of 30 vaccinators are now providing up to 1,000 vaccinations every day, continuing to call people forward in line with the priorities decided by the national Joint Committee for Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI).
People over 70, those working in care homes and health and social care workers who live within 45 minute drive of City Hall are the first who are being invited.
Julia Weldon said: “So much progress has been made with administering the vaccine locally in just a short space of time. Our health partners are working incredibly hard to ensure those who are eligible for a vaccination receive one at the earliest opportunity.
“Many thousands of the most vulnerable people in our city have already received their vaccines and more are being called forward every day. When you are invited, it is vital you accept.
“We know the vaccine is entirely safe, tested and effective. However, while it protects the person who is vaccinated, it is not clear whether it stops people being able to carry and pass on the virus. For that reason it is critical that we all continue to follow the guidance on social distancing as closely as we have throughout the pandemic.
“We know there is misinformation out there about the vaccine and this can spread so quickly via social media and apps. If you have concerns, I urge you to have a look at the information from the NHS and Public Health England (PHE) which will explain and provide factual reassurance on all sorts of questions, including testing the vaccine has undergone, fertility and allergies. You can find a link to this on our website and social media channels.
“The effectiveness of vaccines isn’t something that is up for debate, it is really critical to fact check any scare stories you might see against clear, researched information from medical professionals”.
Find links to information on vaccine development and safety, as well as how it has been agreed at a national level, by the JCVI, that vaccines must be rolled out on our website: hullcc.gov.uk.
