South Tyneside health chiefs urge people urged to stick to Covid guidelines despite vaccine roll out
Families in South Tyneside have been urged to keep following pandemic guidelines, despite good progress so far with the coronavirus vaccine roll out.
NHS bosses in the borough have almost finished rolling out first jabs to the government’s top three priority groups.
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Hide AdBut, with most still either unprotected or awaiting their second dose of the treatment, health chiefs have warned it is still too early to relax hygiene or social distancing measures.
“We’ve vaccinated a lot of the most vulnerable people in South Tyneside and that’s the same for the region and the country,” said Matt Brown, director of operations at South Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
“But I think it’s really important to stress that people should not be changing their behaviour on the basis of having had that first dose of the vaccine.
“It’s critically important that people maintain washing their hands, wearing masks, keeping space, social distancing, not mixing the family groups.”
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Hide AdBrown was speaking at this morning’s (Thursday, January 28) meeting of the CCG’s governing body, which was held by videolink and broadcast via YouTube.
The majority of the borough’s over 75s and health and social care workers, who make up the government’s top three priority groups for jabs, have received a first dose.
Minutes from SAGE, the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, released earlier this month (January) have warned the vaccination programme could have the ‘unintended consequence’ of ‘reducing population adherence’ to rules intended to stop the disease’s spread.
Brown added: “You must comply with rules and you must maintain adherence to all the guidance that’s out there, whether you’ve had that first dose, second dose or nothing.”
