It’s been two years since we entered the first sobering national lockdown to stop a virus in its tracks that has impacted all corners of our lives and taken many of our loved ones too soon. Back then we did not have the wall of protection offered by the safe and effective vaccines that we now have and lockdown was a necessity to save lives.
As the days get warmer and lighter I am heartened to see the London I love now bouncing back to life in stark contrast to the silent streets of Spring 2020. But my optimism comes with a note of caution while the virus is still so prevalent.
Recent data from the ONS lays out the ongoing disparities between those in London who have had the vaccine and not had the vaccine. We know that ethnicity, age and deprivation all play a complex role in how likely someone is to go and get vaccinated but I am deeply concerned that even when compared to the most deprived Londoners of other ethnicities, the most affluent Black Caribbean and Black African Londoners are still up to twice as likely to be unvaccinated.
The reasons underpinning this are wide ranging and community leaders and individuals have talked to me about the impact of myths and misinformation about the vaccine, questions and concerns about vaccine safety, low trust and confidence in the authorities, challenges in accessing health services, and prior infection with COVID-19 so not believing the vaccine is still needed. But too many Londoners overall are remaining vulnerable to the harms of COVID-19 by not having the full protection that the vaccine offers.
With cases yet again on an upwards trajectory due to the transmissibility of the BA.2 variant, and increasing hospitalisations, the last thing I want to see is some communities being hit repeatedly harder, whether that is missing work and school, being admitted to hospital or experiencing the debilitating effects of Long Covid. Despite lower levels of vaccine uptake we continue to see people taking up their vaccine offers every day. We know that the messages and outreach programmes are working but we have more to do and in my role as London’s regional director of public health, I will continue working with health partners and local communities to ensure no Londoner is left behind.
We’ve learned so much in the last two years but as we move to living with a consistently present virus on a long-term basis, please give yourself the best chance of doing so safely by having your first, second and booster doses of vaccine. Even if you recently had COVID-19, you should still get vaccinated as the latest evidence shows that getting fully vaccinated even after catching the virus substantially reduces the risk of getting it again and becoming seriously unwell. We must also be ready for the future and vaccines provide our best defence against the emergence of new variants which could be even more severe. Vaccines have made all the difference.
