GIFT OF THE JAB
VACCINE FOR SANTA
BIG MAN’S BIG NIGHT AHEAD
SANTA has received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine at a GP surgery near Bristol.
Father Christmas had the jab in South Gloucestershire this week, just in time for his epic sleigh ride tonight and reassured people to “just hang on as the end is in sight”.
The spectacle on Monday was courtesy of GP Simon Bradley, who works at Concord Medical Centre in Little Stoke.
As a healthcare worker with a condition that makes him more vulnerable to the virus, he is one of those eligible to receive the vaccine at this early stage of the roll-out.
Dr Bradley, who bought the Santa suit especially, cut a hole in the sleeve to make way for the needle
He said: “It was about showing there is nothing to be frightened of.
“People are worried and distressed – they have seen misinformation and it is hard to persuade some people that it’s safe.”
He was hoping to have the dose at his own practice, but delivery of the vaccine there has now been pushed back until the first week of January.
Instead he received it at a neighbouring surgery, where some vials of the Pfizer vaccine were available.
This was due to NHS England agreeing nationally last week that each vial contains enough for six doses, rather than five as initially thought.
Dr Bradley said: “This is a game changer for our patients. It’s a highly effective vaccine with minimal side effects and there are very few people who can’t have it.
“People are going to get their lives back again.”
Asked what he would say to people reluctant to get the vaccine, he said: “I’d say don’t take my word for it, go back and look at the history of vaccinations, that goes back literally hundreds of years.
“The basis of the immunology has proven over centuries that they are safe.
“Vaccines are nothing new, it’s just the way that we produce them has got better and more effective.
“If you are worried, go back and look at the history and at authoritative resources like major journals and don’t just focus on one person.”
While some people have questioned if South Gloucestershire deserves to be in Tier 3, Dr Bradley said he had “definitely” noticed the recent rise in cases.
He said: “There are significantly more people with the disease than in the earlier part of the year, and it’s affecting people of all ages.
“I can completely understand that people who haven’t had a family member affected or experienced it themselves feel that it’s remote and over-exaggerated, but it’s not – I can’t emphasise that enough.
“It has profound effects on people’s lives when they get it badly.”
He said some survivors have been left with lifelong inability to smell or taste, or chronic shortness of breath.
The GP continued: “All people need to do is hang on for another two or three months, and then they will be safe [after having the vaccine]. It’s ‘hands, face, space’ more than ever – grit your teeth and get through this horrible period, because the end is in sight.”
Dr Bradley said health services in the Bristol area have been working “really efficiently” together to roll out the vaccine.
Despite the promising progress being made, he urged people not to break the rules over Christmas.
He said: “Hang on, stick to the rules, get as much fresh air as possible, keep your distance, and wait to be called for the vaccine.
“It’s coming, and it’s close.”