Vaccines are ‘key to staving off variant’
Slough: Councillor urges people to get jabs after Omicron news
A call has been made for more Slough residents to get vaccinated against coronavirus to stave off the threat of a new emerging variant.
The World Health Organisation has declared the Omicron variant as a Variant of Concern.
No cases have been identified in Slough or neighbouring Windsor and Maidenhead yet but residents are being urged to get jabbed if they have not yet done so.
Councillor Natasa Pantelic, cabinet member for health at Slough Borough Council, said: “People who haven’t been vaccinated are affected worse by the virus and my message to Slough residents is if you haven’t had the vaccine please come forward and take your
vaccine.”
NHS figures show 102,327 first doses and 89,851 second doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Slough. This means out of an estimated population of 150,000, 32 per cent of people are still unvaccinated.
Cllr Pantelic added: “There’s still some vaccine hesitancy and fear from the reaction you may get from the vaccine.
“The key message is the vaccines are safe, the vaccines are effective and taking the vaccine is really important as we are in the winter months and we’re congregating more indoors and have this new variant.”
Mandatory mask wearing in shops, on public transport and in some indoor spaces has been re-introduced by Government to curb the potential spread of the new variant.
Cllr Pantelic said residents should take extra care before attending gatherings over the festive season.
The Labour councillor added: “Over the Christmas period if you are planning to go to a large gathering, take a lateral flow test before you go to make sure you don’t have the virus.
“If you’re indoors wear a mask and consider social distancing and all those sensible measures you should take.”