Last week, 8 December, marked one year on since the first COVID-19 vaccination was given outside of a clinical trial in England. The GP Care Group joins North East London CCG to express a heartfelt thank you to the thousands of volunteers who took part in the borough’s COVID vaccination programme.
Henry Black, Acting Accountable Officer of NEL CCG took the opportunity of the one year anniversary to “thank staff, volunteers, partners and community groups who have been crucial in its success; and to encourage those who have not yet received their first vaccine to come forward and get it.”
Highlights from his letter are as follows:
“This huge effort has prevented thousands of deaths, hospitalisations and other serious illnesses such as Long COVID; and it’s helped our communities gain their freedom from lockdown or isolation and get back to work or seeing family and friends.”
“We would like to say a huge thank you to each and every one of the tens of thousands who have worked tirelessly to make this happen.”
“None of this would have been possible without the hard work, dedication and resilience of the staff and volunteers; all our partner organisations and local leaders; and our community organisations, religious groups, sports teams and many more.”
“We would also like to say thank you to the more than one million residents of North East London who have come forward for their vaccination. It has not been an easy decision for some, but in doing so they have all played their part in keeping our communities safe.”
“It is not over yet, and it is likely that we will have to keep giving vaccines and boosters to vulnerable residents and more cohorts of people well into next year; and we need to consider the threat of new variants, as and when they emerge. But taking time to reflect on where we were a year ago, it is clear the impact has been immense and one of the most successful public health programmes in history.”
To mark the one year anniversary, readers can take part in a social media campaign to share what having the vaccine has enabled them to do in the last year using the hashtag #OneYearOn and @THGPCareGroup.
You can film and share a video, image or post explaining how being vaccinated has meant you’ve been able to see family and friends, go on holiday, or even how it has given you some peace of mind during a particularly difficult time. The campaign is about thanking everyone for making it happen and, most importantly, encouraging others to get vaccinated.
If you know someone who hasn't booked their vaccine yet, they can book their appointment online here.
