A community campaign to promote the importance of COVID-19 vaccination and testing has been hailed an overwhelming success – with more than 20,000 homes visited.
Teams from Wakefield Council have visited residents across the district in a bid to increase vaccination and testing uptake, offer support and answer any queries which people may have.
Now, results from the four-week programme reveal that community volunteers have knocked on 20,355 doors, testing and vaccination sites have seen increased demand and 89% of those visited had received at least one vaccine dose. The volunteers have been extremely well received in local neighbourhoods where they have been described as ‘polite, personable and full of great advice.’
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Cllr Maureen Cummings, Wakefield Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, Poverty & Health, said: “We are delighted with the positive response our volunteers have received in the community. Anything we can do to raise awareness of this is extremely worthwhile, and I must express my sincere thanks to these community volunteers for their hard work and dedication.”
Anna Hartley, Wakefield Council’s Director of Public Health, added: “We continue to see extremely high case rates across the district, and it is essential that we all remain vigilant. Vaccination is the most important step we can all take to protect ourselves, our families and our communities. “We have made it even easier to just walk in and grab a jab and I would urge everyone 18 and over to do so.”
Vaccines reduce your risk of getting seriously ill or dying from COVID-19, reduce your risk of catching or spreading COVID-19 and actively protect against COVID-19 variants. They also protect you against ‘Long COVID.’ Two doses with a gap between give the best protection.
Everyone in Wakefield aged over 18 can now book a vaccine appointment online, or just turn up to a ‘drop-in’ clinic to receive first or second doses. Full details of these clinics can be found at bit.ly/GrabAJabWF.
To limit the spread of the virus, the council’s advice to residents continues to be: Get both doses of vaccine without delay. If you have COVID-19 symptoms (a high temperature, a new, continuous cough and a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste) you must self-isolate immediately and book a test by calling 119 or visiting https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test.
If you believe you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive, you must self-isolate and arrange a PCR test immediately. Limit the number of people you mix with who are not in your household. Where possible, meet people outdoors or in well-ventilated places.
Anyone displaying COVID-19 symptoms, should immediately book a test by calling 119 or visiting https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test.
Further information about all testing options across the Wakefield district is available at https://www.wakefield.gov.uk/about-the-council/coronavirus-information/getting-a-covid-19-test. You can read full details about the vaccination programme, including FAQs, at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination.
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