Medical leaders stress importance of vaccination
particularly emphasised now that we’re in a phase with the need for boosters and a new variant.
“I couldn’t emphasise more the SENIOR medics at three of the region’s importance of vaccination, especially biggest NHS Trusts have all urged the as we face what sounds like it may be public to get vaccinated to protect hosan extremely virulent variant.” pitals from the Omicron Covid variant. Andy Beeby, medical director for the
Coronavirus hospitalisations have Gateshead Health NHS Foundation almost doubled in three weeks in LonTrust, said it is an anxious time for staff don, leading NHS experts to once again there as they wait to see the extent of warn that a similar surge could hit the how the Omicron variant will affect North East unless people take up them but added everyone was working booster vaccines. hard to “plan and prepare”.
Dr Graham Burns, a senior respiraUrging people to get their Covid-19 tory consultant at the RVI, said: “Being vaccines, he added: “At a time of convaccinated makes almost all the differtinuing, unprecedented demand for ence in the world. health and care services, and an unre
“From what we see in hospitals most lenting two years for NHS teams, we of the people who are seriously ill with would ask people to keep doing their Covid, the people who have to be ventibit and look after themselves and othlated and have really acute illness, ers this Christmas – you can play a vital they’re the people who have chosen role in helping us. not to be vaccinated. And most of the “The key thing you can do is to get time it’s not for a medical reason, the booster dose of the vaccine. It’s so mostly it’s they’ve made a conscious important because it is an essential decision. protection to reduce the severity of
“That’s a tragedy. Death comes to us Covid, meaning you’re less likely to be all in the end, but when it’s avoidable hospitalised and will be helping protect that’s an utter tragedy.” NHS services for others.”
Dr Burns’ view was echoed by Dr Mr Beeby urged the public to “please Eliot Sykes, an ITU consultant and be sensible over the next week” and director of surgery at Northumbria wear masks when close to one other, Healthcare. He said: “Consistently, limit mixing “as much as you can” and more than half – so the majority – of use lateral flow tests before visiting others.patientsinintensivecarearenotvaccinated. That, for me has always been an He said it was also vital to think careextremely clear message about the fully about which NHS service people value and importance of vaccination. needed.
“That’s both the value to the individ“Please don’t delay seeking help or ual, but also in limiting the conseadvice,” he said. “But please do think quences of not being vaccinated in about what service is best for your terms of the burden on healthcare. needs. A&E departments and 999 are
“It’s patients who we could have there to help the most serious and lifepotentially prevented from becoming threatening conditions – please think critically unwell but are now occupying about whether your pharmacy, GP and critical care beds. That’s been consist111 online or telephone can help you ent throughout the pandemic, but is first.”