Truro and Falmouth’s Member of Parliament Cherilyn Mackrory has marked the one year anniversary of the UK becoming the first country in the world to approve Pfizer’s Covid vaccine – by urging people in Truro and Falmouth to get their booster jab when they are called forward.
More than 115 million vaccine doses have now been administered across the UK, and over 18 million people – including 34,511 in Truro and Falmouth – have now received a Covid-19 booster jab to protect themselves and their loved ones this winter.
By getting their booster jab, people will strengthen the wall of defence against Covid-19 and allow everyone to enjoy Christmas safely with their families and loved ones this year.
On Thursday 2 December 2020, the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was approved for use in the UK, allowing the life-saving vaccination programme to begin, starting with Margaret Keenan’s vaccination on 8 December.
The latest figures show that more than 115 million vaccine doses have been administered across the UK in almost a year – with nine in ten people aged 12 and over having received at least one dose of the vaccine – almost 51 million people – and eight in ten having received both vaccine doses – over 46 million people.
One in three people have now already received their booster jab – 18.6 million people – more than any other country with the exception of the USA and China.
This week, as a precaution in light of the new Omicron variant, the Conservative Government has expanded the booster programme to all adults over 18 and announced that all eligible people will be offered a top-up jab by the end of January.
To speed up the vaccination programme, around 400 military personnel will be drafted in to support deployment, with 1,500 community pharmacy sites, additional hospital hubs, and pop-up sites opening in convenient locations across the country.
Cherilyn said:
“We should be rightly proud of our world-leading vaccine programme, and the herculean efforts of our NHS and volunteers in delivering it.”
“As we mark the one year anniversary of its approval and the beginning of this colossal undertaking, it is more important than ever, with the menace of the Omicron variant on the horizon, that we do all we can to get vaccinated, whether it’s a first, second or booster shot.”
“I urge Truro and Falmouth residents to get their vaccine, protect our society, keep the virus at bay and allow us all to enjoy Christmas safely this year and beyond.”
