Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge MP James Heappey has urged local people to get their Covid booster jab amid concern about the new Omicron variant.
He called on people to get a booster vaccine when invited to do so by the NHS, describing vaccinations as the country’s “first line of defence” against coronavirus.
Mr Heappey says latest figures show 35,784 people in the Wells constituency – which includes the Burnham area – have received their Covid booster jab so far, but he is keen to see the figure rise.
Over the past week, as a precaution against the new Omicron variant, the Government has expanded the booster programme to all adults over 18 and announced that all eligible people will be offered a top-up jab by the end of January.
Mr Heappey says: “It is thanks to the incredible effort and success of the Government’s vaccination programme that more than 35,000 people in the constituency have received three Covid vaccine doses, which will offer life-saving protection to them and their loved ones this winter.”
“I encourage all those who have not yet come forward to take up the offer of a vaccine.”
”We are leading the way here in Somerset and I am in regular contact with the CCG and Somerset County Council to ensure this process is as successful as the first.”
The latest official government data shows there have been 83 new Covid positive cases in Sedgemoor (non-Omicron) during the latest 24-hour period and two new deaths within 28 days of a positive test result in Sedgemoor.
Meanwhile, across the UK, there were 26 new Omicron cases confirmed on Saturday – of which 25 were recorded in England and one in Scotland. Those cases took the total Omicron cases for England to 129. Scotland has so far recorded 30 cases while one case was identified in Wales, bringing the total Omicron cases for the UK as a whole to 160.
