Ignore anti-vaxxers and get vaccinated, say Black Country health chiefs
Health chiefs labelled anti-vax protesters targeting schools in the region 'disappointing' as they urged people to ignore the myths and get the jab.
Anti-vaxxers gathered on Wolverhampton's Ring Road this week in protest against the latest rollout of vaccines for those aged 12 to 15. And schools including Beacon Hill Academy in Sedgley have also been sent letters from campaigners against the move too.
Jabs will start in hundreds of secondaries across the country this week – with the NHS vaccination programme rolling out to others in the coming weeks.
A group of around twenty protesters gathered on either side of the A4150, between Ring Road St Andrews and Ring Road St Peters, Wolverhampton, during the evening rush hour, holding large yellow signs.
Dudley Council's health chief said it was "disappointing" that people wanted to spread myths about the vaccination when "it is actually our greatest defence against Covid-19".
Meanwhile one Black Country school has revealed a number of anti-vax letters in recent days. Sukhjot Dhami, headteacher at Beacon Hill Academy, said: "The academy has received two letters from the public, expressing their disapproval of the vaccination programme.
"Our parents/carers have been very supportive of everything we are doing to keep our learners safe and keeping the transmission rate down.
"It's important to recognize that schools are not administering the vaccination programme. We are facilitating this in the same way we do with all vaccinations.
"The academy is committed to ensuring that over the coming weeks and months we do everything we can to minimize the disruption to schools and education and welcome any measure aimed at doing this.
"We respect the choice of individuals and parents/carers not to have the vaccine but will continue to support the NHS as we have always done."
Dudley Council's health chief said it was "disappointing" that people wanted to spread myths about the vaccination when "it is actually our greatest defence against Covid-19".
Sally Roberts, chief nursing officer for Black Country and West Birmingham, said: “We all have a role to play when it comes to protecting ourselves, our loved ones and those we come into contact with.
"Covid-19 hasn’t gone away and we still have lots of vulnerable people in our communities, so it’s more important than ever to get vaccinated.
“Getting both doses of the vaccine is the best way to protect yourself, and others, from this life-threatening virus. This will not only reduce your chance of catching the virus, it will reduce your chance of becoming seriously unwell - or even dying - if you do catch it."
