Appeal for young to get Covid-19 vaccine

Appeal for young to get Covid-19 vaccine

28 July 2021

A SURGE in coronavirus cases among young people has prompted an appeal to them to get vaccinated against the deadly virus.

Health chiefs have confirmed that there has been a “significantly increased demand” for intensive care beds due to Covid-19 last weekend, with the surge in demand for services coming quicker than expected.

The confirmation comes as the South Eastern Trust issued an urgent appeal for staff to return to work last weekend to help cope with an increase in demand for services.

Baroness Margaret Ritchie has this week appealed to young people to get vaccinated with the appeal coinciding with the arrival of the local health trust’s vaccination bus in Portaferry Leisure Centre today between 11am and 7pm. On Friday, it will be at the Kircubbin Community Centre between noon and 7pm.

Last week, the vaccination bus was in Downpatrick on two separate days and will be returning to the town at the start of September.

Lady Ritchie said Covid-19 has presented everyone with many challenges, including the need to work from home, social distance, wear masks and to get vaccinated, also referencing the restrictions that have been placed on people’s lifestyles and economy. 

“Some of us became unwell with Covid-19 and now have the lingering consequences of long Covid with all its health issues,” she continued.

“Many of the restrictions have now been lifted whilst we have been told that the number of cases of the Delta variant are increasing and the NHS is again becoming overwhelmed.”

Lady Ritchie said that over the past number of days, it has become apparent that there is a growing need for a greater number of people in the 18 to 29 age group to be vaccinated against the virus.

“Many of the people with Covid-19 in hospitals are in this age group,” she continued.

“We have been told that choices will have to be made in the hospitals between surgeries and treating patients with Covid-19. In fact, some health trusts have asked staff to come in on their days off to assist with the care and treatment of patients.”

Urging those who have not yet been vaccinated to get the jab, Lady Ritchie said those who have 

have questions regarding the efficacy of the vaccination programme should to talk to their GP to gain assurances on safety issues in relation to the vaccines and not rely on information provided by social media.

She continued: “It is worth noting that these vaccines have been heavily investigated, tested and licensed and the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations only approve vaccines for use when they are medically and clinically confident that they are safe for inoculation purposes.

“In fact, clinical trials are also held for efficacy purposes and in such circumstances, I would urge people who have not had their vaccines to please take them up.”

Lady Ritchie said that in order protect themselves, their family, friends, neighbours and work colleagues, the vaccines provide the best effective medical answers against Covid-19.

She added: “We all need to continue to wear face coverings, keep social distancing and sanitise our hands. It is important to stay safe and well and help each one of us to emerge from all the rigours of the pandemic in a medically safe manner”.

On Monday, the province’s chief nursing officer said there had been “increased demand for intensive care beds quite significantly over the weekend”.

Mrs Charlotte McArdle said a total of 15 patients were admitted to intensive care units with Covid over the weekend and that 29 people were in ICUs by Sunday.

“That was on top of a number that was steadily increasing over the last two weeks,” Ms McArdle said.

Ms McArdle also said hospitals were seeing “an increase in young people requiring a very high level of acute care”, adding: “I am hearing reports that there is a higher number of young people requiring hospital admission and many of them are requiring respiratory support.”

It has also been confirmed that the current surge in cases and admissions was ahead of the schedule that had been anticipated by healthcare professionals.

Rita Devlin, acting director of the Royal College of Nursing in Northern Ireland, said “people were planning for September and we now see we are at the end of July and we seem to be right in the middle of another wave again. The pressure of that is unbelievable on the staff.

“We know our staff are being asked to open extra beds even though there’s not the staff to look after the patients in the beds.”

However, the British Medical Association in Northern Ireland said double-vaccinated healthcare staff should not be exempted from isolating in a bid to tackle staff shortages.