With half term fast approaching and COVID-19 cases continuing to rise, Island residents are being reminded of the simple things they can do to help reduce the risk of catching the virus and passing it on to others.
These actions will also help prevent the spread of other winter bugs and respiratory infections, such as flu, which can spread easily and may cause serious illness in some people.
Steps we can all take in our daily lives include:
- Getting vaccinated;
- Letting fresh air in if meeting others indoors;
- Practising good hygiene:
– Washing your hands
– Covering your coughs and sneezes
– Cleaning your surroundings frequently - Wearing a face covering or a face mask.
Simon Bryant, the Isle of Wight Council’s director of Public Health, said:
“With the weather looking mild, half term is a good opportunity to get together outside with family and friends.
“Meeting outside and continuing with the simple hands, face, space and fresh air guidance, will help to protect ourselves, our families and our communities, and reduce the pressure on the NHS.
“People aged 50 and over are now eligible for the autumn COVID-19 booster. You can wait to be contacted by your GP, check with your local pharmacy, or you can book online or attend a walk-in.
“Get your flu jab if you’re invited to have it; this can also be at your local GP surgery or pharmacy. You might be offered both your COVID and flu jab together, that’s fine.
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Councillor Karl Love, Cabinet member for Public Health, said it was clear the pandemic was not over with local NHS and adult social care services dealing with rising rates of COVID-19 among staff and the people they support.
“My message is simple: vaccination saves lives and helps to reduce the pressures on our important hospital, blue light and essential service personnel. It decreases chances of being infected and reduces the risk of severe consequences from COVID-19 and seasonal flu,”
“There is no time to lose. I encourage everyone eligible, especially the most vulnerable, to please come forward as soon as possible for both COVID-19 and flu vaccination. You’re not only protecting yourselves, you’re protecting those you love and care for.”
You can find out more about what vaccinations you may need, and information about how to book an appointment, by visiting www.nhs.uk/flujab and www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccine.
For local information on COVID, visit www.iow.gov.uk/covid19
The day I take seriously anything this provenly corrupt and useless IWC advise will be the day of my last breath.
If you don’t take simple steps to easily protect yourself from unnecessary illness it will soon be your last breath.
Non-effective, non-medical steps won’t protect anyone from anything. But congrats on keeping the hysteria fueled. A £300million campaign of propaganda reaps its victims. On that basis the only ‘reassurance’ would be to hide under the bed forever.
Well said Stephen! Let let keep taking their clot shots.
Last weeks figures show a drop in cases.
Watch Dr John Campbell on Youtube
Then you will all realise what is really happening
“Shocking”
This Dr John Campbell?
https://fullfact.org/health/john-campbell-youtube-singapore-children/
The one that has had his YouTube gibberish solidly debunked.
That Dr John Campbell?
Stop posting lies and misinformation.
John is a great man.
Have you not seen what they have been doing in Boston!
So was Atilla the Hun.
Are you taking about what the Boston lot did? Yes, it’s mental they would do that. And that they did means any of the nutter leaders around the world will be looking to do the same.
Yes I am Fred
They could wipe out 80% of the world’s population if it’s leaked
People need to watch GB News and Youtube for the truth.
I do love a spot of irony.
That was irony, wasn’t it?
Do your research about this person and then perhaps you will not be taken in by his misleading and inaccurate videos.
Why bother to post links that give page can not be found errors?
We should take notice of public information but as soon as I see “advice from IWC” then I switch off .. hopeless council, just look at the FB 6 debacle, why cannot we be told the truth … incompetence from to to bottom .
The IWC can shove their advice where the sun doesn’t shine. Getting vaccinated is the only thing that will protect us from the virus, the rest of it is hogwash for the gullible.
the jab is not a vaccine, as it doesn’t prevent you getting ill, doesn’t prevent you catching it and doesn’t prevent you transmitting it….at best these Jabs might prevent serious symptoms in some people, however, that cannot be proven, as they may have had the same symptoms without a jab.
Karl love knows nothing and him telling you to take a medication in case some one else gets ill is utter madness
I have had all variants of covid over the last couple of years and not had any of the unproven jabs. the council can shove their jabs and dumb advice
Watch this folks:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0019g27/unvaccinated
I suggest you watch all of it, but particularly watch from 51:50 where the vaccine sceptics are taken to Lewisham Hospital to talk to an A&E consultant, Dr Patel. Here’s a transcript of the relevant bit:
Antivaxer : “What difference are we seeing in patients that were vaccinated with those the weren’t?”
Dr Patel: “21 patients were admitted to ICU with Covid in Feb 2022, of the 21, 20 were unvaccinated. Of the 21 7 did not make it, all of them were unvaccinated”.
Now, do we believe an A&E consultant working on the front line, or wighter, Paul, Bill and the other conspiracy nutjobs who would rather believe unsubstantiated garbage on YouTube?
Firstly it is not a vaccine and never has been – at best a symptom suppressor. Secondly, just as many people, if not more die of flu each year -not heard you making such a fuss over that and thirdly, you are taking the word of the government bbc mouthpiece, where all information is carefully structured to tell you the story the way they want you to hear it.
what about those in ICU in january, or march – did they just pick a month that had a high percentage of cases to make the programme look good
more fool you, if you allow yourself to be injected with something that has no long term safety data available.
There is no point trying to have a debate with conspiracy nutters, Worky.
The problem is, it doesn’t matter how much corroborated evidence you present that debunks whatever whacko theory they subscribe to, they just look at it as all being part of the conspiracy.
This effect is aptly demonstrated by “wighter”. He just doubled down on the Kool-Aid.
Of course its a vaccine you absolute melt.
Just search for “what is a vaccine?”.
Of course, you are a conspiracy freak and will just respond that all of the thousands of sites telling you what a vaccine is and giving descriptions of vaccines that exactly match the action of the Covid jab are fake.
And will probably point to some weirdo conspiracy site full of utter pseudo-science gibberish as “proof” to back up your own nutjob theories.
no it isn’t a vaccine – small pox jab is a vaccine, covid jab is not – work out the difference and stop being a lemming believing everything the government tell you – sheep
So many who have died are vaccinated
All hail the Great Cult of Covid.
And shove their vaccines where the sun doesn’t shine.
5th of November is when the revolution starts. Million Masks March. Google it.
Great news
Unless it is raining and they put ‘Strictly’ on with the hint of a rumour of an affair between two contestants
Stay safe, stay away from experimental vaccines
That old chestnut. Experimental, you don’t even know what it means.
His mum and dad did, though.
Not been contacted by GP surgery, no surprise there, had to sort it out myself as usual so not sure where the Council are getting the info from but I was classed as vulnerable due to health reasons. Best to look after yourself, have started wearing masks when shopping but try to be mask free in the outside areas, and being aware of “social distance”. Responsibility for health if you are able does lie with us, no point keep contacting medical professionals unless you are already ill.
Ah the conspirator theorists are out in force on this thread !!
Why do we have 1 only flu jab and no boosters. Why—— because it does it’s job. I know many people here and on the mainland that work in either hospitals,clinics,pharmacies etc and they will not have a flu jab and Covid booster together. And no I’m not a conspiracy theorist either. The vaccination is not a guarantee that you will not catch Covid and also you can spread it. It’s also not guaranteed that the vaccinated won’t unfortunately die.
no it doesn’t always – the flu jab is based on the strain that does the rounds in the southern hemisphere winter, before it arrives here. Some years they get it right, others they get completely wrong and the jab doesn’t work here at all.