Vaccines for All is community message

No-one should be denied the Covid-19 vaccine as we head out of lockdown. That is the message coming loud and clear from a national campaign aimed at those who may feel they are on the margins of our society.

As we reveal today, city councillors have backed the move calling on the Government to ensure the jab is accessible to all.

Vaccines for All is the name of the game, regardless of immigration status, ID or proof of address.

It’s a campaign the Echo fully supports as our community begins the long road back to normality.

Restrictions were eased from the start of this week, but the more people we have vaccinated the better for our community, and nation as a whole.

Councillor Kelly Chequer, Sunderland City Council’s cabinet member for Healthy City, introduced the vaccine motion at a meeting of the full council.

She said the campaign aimed to “directly address fear and mistrust and begin to restore the confidence in the NHS for communities that have previously been excluded from care.”

While the vaccine rollout appears to be a huge success, there are fears that some people are at risk of missing out.

In particular, the campaign looks to address ‘specific barriers’ faced by people at risk of homlessness and others in marginalised groups, like migrant communities.

The vaccine is the best answer we have to this virus so it must not only work for everyone, but be available to everyone.