In the midst of a considerable rise in the numbers of covid cases across the country, including in Lincolnshire, people across the county are being urged to take some simple steps to give themselves as much protection as possible.
The most obvious of these is to get vaccinated. Across Lincolnshire vaccination teams have given more than a million vaccinations over the last year and are still busy administering spring boosters, as well as offering 1st, 2nd and booster vaccinations to people who haven’t yet had them.
“We know that getting vaccinated is the best way to gain maximum protection from covid and that the vaccination programme has helped prevent thousands of people from being seriously ill and hospitalised with covid,” explains Rebecca Neno, Director of Covid and Influenza Vaccination Programmes, NHS Lincolnshire ICB.
“We also know that protection from the vaccination will wane over time, which is why it is vital to get all of the covid vaccinations you are eligible for. So, for example, if you are 75 or older, or aged 12 or over and immunosuppressed, you should be coming forwards to have your spring booster if you’ve not already had it.”
Although the last covid-related restrictions were recently lifted, there are some other things we can all do to minimise the risk from covid.
“This is bit of a blast from the recent past but hands, face, space basically sums it up. Firstly, good hand hygiene is really important and really easy to do – wash your hands regularly and thoroughly.
“Then there’s face coverings. I know most people have stopped wearing them but, depending on the situation, I might still occasionally choose to wear a face covering indoors, particularly if the ventilation isn’t brilliant.
“And finally, talking of ventilation, try and ensure that if you’re indoors windows and doors are open to allow fresh air to pass through,” adds Rebecca. “Whilst it’s no longer official advice, these are simple things we can all do if we want to.”
The NHS vaccination teams continue to offer pop-up vaccination sessions across the county, enabling people to simply turn up and get their covid jab without the need for an appointment.
“We never know until the day how many people we’ll see but, on the whole, the pop-up walk-in sessions are still proving really popular, particularly those where we use our vaccination bus, and you can find out where they are by visiting our Grab a Jab page. If you prefer to book an appointment, you can still do this online using the National Booking System or by calling 119.”
Published 01/07/2022