Lack of clarity and urgency to blame for Norfolk's 40% Booster jab uptake
Only 65,000 people have had a booster jab in Norfolk
Last updated 26th Oct 2021
Norfolk Healthwatch is blaming a lack of clarity and urgency on why the uptake of booster jabs in the county is low.
Currently, only 40 percent of those eligible have had their third Covid vaccine dose.
Their Chief Executive, Alex Stewart says the importance of getting a third dose should have been stressed from the very start:
"They haven't been as prescriptive as the first lot were. You're almost told there are these centres and you just ring up and book. There has almost been too much choice, in an odd sort of way, y'know you're almost just told they're there if you want them.
Personal feeling is we should be telling people that you need to do this to protect yourself and other people as well".
"The third primary care doses are being offered to people who have these immunosuppressive disease, who could be particularly adversely affected by Covid if they got it".
For those of us who don't have these diseases, it's just a run of the mill booster vaccination, like the flu jabs, you get annually".
He also told us that the facilities delivering jabs often aren't fit for purpose:
"People are being told they can get them in a centre near them. But these centres don't have any access to transport. If you're relying on buses for example, these sort of centres are completely inaccessible".
But he concluded by saying that we all have to take responsibility for the current rate:
"We could be doing a lot better with our booster jab uptake. That's not the fault of those who are offering these jabs, its us the general public perhaps being a little bit lazy when it comes to booking them or finding ways of getting them".