'It's quick and painless'- South Shields MP gets Covid vaccine as she urges others to take up jab when asked

Ms Lewell-Buck confirmed she received the first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine on Sunday, April 25, at the Flagg Court Health Centre in South Shields

The Labour MP called the experience ‘quick and painless’ as she urged others to get their vaccine when it’s their turn.

Praising NHS staff and teams who are involved in the vaccine rollout, Ms Lewell-Buck said: “Everyone there was lovely and professional.”

The MP shared a photo of herself getting the vaccine on her Facebook page on Sunday morning in an effort to encourage others to come forward for a vaccine when they are offered one.

In the post she said: “Getting my Covid vaccine this am, looking a bit dishevelled after my morning.

"Thank you to nurse Margaret Pyle, the team at Flagg Court and all of our NHS heroes.

"When you get the call please go – it’s quick and painless.”

Anyone aged 45 and over can still arrange their jab in England, as well as people who are clinically vulnerable or health and care workers.

More than half of the UK’s total population has received a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, latest Government figures show.

Government data up to April 23 shows that of the 45,580,400 jabs given in the UK so far, 33,508,590 were first doses – a rise of 119,953 on the previous day.The UK population is estimated to be 66,796,807, so the latest figures show that more than half the population have now had a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

Experts have said vaccines should be able to control the Covid-19 pandemic as they published new real-world UK data showing that jabs slash infection and are likely to cut transmission.

Just one dose of either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine leads to a two-thirds drop in coronavirus cases and is 74% effective against symptomatic infection.

After two doses of Pfizer, there was a 70% reduction in all cases and a 90% drop in symptomatic cases – these are the people who are most likely to transmit coronavirus to others.

Experts are still collecting data on two doses of AstraZeneca but say their findings show that both vaccines work and are effective in the real world.

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