Birmingham warned 'Covid hasn't gone away' as they are urged to get protected - here's how

People across Birmingham and Solihull are being warned 'Covid is still here' as health bosses look to encourage vulnerable residents to get vaccinated. NHS Birmingham and Solihull are sending mobile vaccination vans to a number of locations, including supermarket car parks, over the coming weeks.

The aim is to encourage the over-65s and those with weakened immune systems to get protected, particularly in hard to reach communities, and avoid them getting preventable illnesses. Earlier this month, NHS Birmingham and Solihull launched its Breathe Easy campaign urging people to get vaccinated against respiratory diseases such as Covid, flu and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) to ease the pressure on GPs and hospitals during the winter.

Stats show, as of November 21, Covid uptake among the eligible population of 395,426 is 33.2 per cent, while flu jab uptake is 30.6 per cent of the eligible population of 819,551. For RSV (75 – 79 years of age) the uptake rate is 33.8 per cent. As a system, residents in Birmingham and Solihull have had over 404,000 COVID, flu or RSV vaccinations since 01 September 2024.

READ MORE: Concern Brummies will end up in hospital over 'preventable' illness

On Thursday (November 21), the van was at Asda in Small Heath offering jabs to eligible and information to shoppers. Jenna Shaw, clinical site lead, said: "We try to go to hard to reach areas to have that exposure and to give people the opportunity to get the vaccine.

"GP practices and pharmacies will have the vaccine but there are often waits for it, they may not have it in stock. Some of the vans we do at hospitals such as the QE our numbers (of uptake) have gone up to 200.

"Going out with the vans in community centres, the uptake is less - the numbers aren't as good as they used to be. I think it's because we live with Covid now. We don't have to test if we feel unwell.

"But we need to look after ourselves and it's about those preventative methods we can put in place. If you're caring for somebody, such as a transplant patient, they need the vaccine because their immune system is not going to fight Covid like a healthy person would.

"We find the immunocompromised patients will come and have the vaccine - they know the dangers of having Covid, they're not going to be able to fight it off." She added negative feedback is minimal but it offers them the chance to answer questions and provide people with information to help them make informed choices.

Details of where the vaccine van will be can be found at https://www.birminghamsolihull.icb.nhs.uk/health-information/vaccinations/flu-and-covid-19/mobile-vaccination-unit

She said: "We're not going to put pressure on anyone to have the vaccine. If we can educate people so they feel comfortable to ask those questions, that is important. Covid is still there and it has peaked this autumn, people have struggled with it. But like the flu, we live with it now.

"We have to look after the people who are more vulnerable and they are the people who need the vaccine. Some of this programme is about inequalities and looking at communities that are hard to reach and struggle to get that education and contact with the NHS.

"Part of our project as well is we are working at Birmingham Homeless Shelter at Christmas. It's not just us going to supermarkets but looking at how can we get involved with the local communities and offer vaccines. Someone who has nowhere to live are not likely to come to a supermarket."