Vaccinations offer a ray of hope for us all

There are positive signs that the lockdown is working, with the numbers of those infected finally starting to fall and the strain on our hospitals beginning to ease. 

The vaccination drive continues apace and this week we moved to phase two, with those aged over 65 and the clinically vulnerable now being invited to receive their first dose. 

The vaccinations offer a ray of hope for us all, and I was pleased to be given a tour of the centre in Redbridge Town Hall recently and see first hand the wonderful work our NHS staff and CCG are doing to keep our community safe. 

I’m currently working with HealthBridge Direct and Loxford PCN to organise pop-up centres around Ilford to ensure as many people have access to the vaccine as possible. The first will be taking place this weekend, so please do get in touch with my office for more details.

I also worked with faith leaders from across my constituency recently to produce a video reminding people that, until we are vaccinated it’s so important we continue to follow social distancing guidelines and stay at home where possible.

During this pandemic, faith groups across Ilford South have played a vital role, providing moral and spiritual counsel and delivering food parcels to the needy. I am proud of all those across my constituency who took the brave, but necessary, decision to close places of worship until the current rise in Covid infection rates subsides.

In the meantime, it’s imperative that we bust myths, and encourage all those who are eligible to be vaccinated, to take it up. Herd immunity will only work if everyone is vaccinated, so it’s part of the collective effort to defeat Covid to ensure you, and everyone you know, receives the vaccine when it is their turn so we recover from this as quickly as possible.