NHS to enrol ‘sensible’ celebrities to campaign for Covid-19 vaccination
Well-known celebrities and influencers are to be enlisted by the NHS to persuade people to have the Covid-19 vaccination amid concerns over take-up levels.
The footballer Marcus Rashford, whose free school meals campaign gained much praise, is rumoured to be among the campaigners.
A survey conducted by the European Journal of Health Economics found that 55% of Europeans were concerned about potential side effects of a vaccine.
A number of vaccines have now been developed with the leading Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine created by a German couple of Turkish origin, Dr Ugur Sahin and Dr Özlem Türeci. Their vaccine is said to have 90% success rate.
The UK is the first country to approve this vaccine and it is due to be rolled out from December.
Ten million doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be bought by the end of this year with a following 30 million on the way, according to Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
The NHS plans to administer the vaccine starting with the most vulnerable, including the elderly, those with underlying health conditions and healthcare workers.
Despite national fears, global surveys indicate a higher level of trust with 79% of people ‘somewhat’ or ‘strongly’ agreeing that vaccines are safe.
In order for a vaccine to be effective it needs to be taken by a certain percentage of the population. According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, a vaccine with an 80% success rate will need to be taken by 60% of a population. A 70% effective vaccine will need to be taken by 75% of the population.
But a survey carried out in south west London by The Lancet showed that only 50% of people would be willing to receive the vaccine without a guarantee of its safety.
A larger survey conducted in November 2020 by the London Assembly Health Committee found that 45% of Londoners wouldn’t take a Covid-19 vaccination because they ‘do not trust the government or drug companies’.
The plan by the NHS is to promote the cause under the slogan ‘Your NHS needs you’.
