‘COVID is still around’: Unvaccinated students urged to get a jab during freshers week
A top doctor is urging unvaccinated students to get their COVID-19 jabs during freshers week, to protect themselves and their new peers against the virus.
Professor Stephen Powis, national medical director for NHS England said: “Starting university is a really exciting time and getting your COVID vaccine means you will be armed with maximum protection against the virus.”
It comes amid lagging vaccination rates among young people.
In England, everyone over the age of 18 has been able to book their vaccine since 18 June.
However, only 57% of 18 to 29-year-olds have received both doses. That compares with 82% of the entire adult population in England.
To combat this, dozens of universities are setting up walk-in vaccine centres for the thousands of students starting university in the coming weeks.
Tehmeena Amjal, COVID-19 operations director at Oxford Health, said people need to be reminded that COVID is still around
Tehmeena Amjal, COVID-19 operations director at Oxford Health, spoke at a walk-in site for students studying in the city.
She said: “Over the summer it has been a bit more difficult maybe to access the vaccine.
“And what we really want to do is remind people that COVID is still around and give people a chance to get a vaccine before they really start getting into the full life of university.”
The advocacy group Universities UK say they have been working to combat the misinformation that has led some to become vaccine hesitant.
Chief executive Alistair Jarmam said students have been sent lots of information about why the jab is important ahead of their arrival on campuses.
He added the aim is “to help people understand that it’s the right thing to do”.
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‘All protected!’ – Booster jabs given
To get into nightclubs, from 11 October students in Wales will be able to use an NHS COVID pass to prove their vaccination status.
In Scotland, students will need a COVID vaccination certificate from 1 October.
Although, in England there is no legal requirement to show proof of vaccination to enter a nightclub or large-scale event.
Some first-year students at a club in London told Sky News they would prefer it if vaccine passes were a requirement.
Nurse Marvis Birungi (left) gives a vaccine injection to Oxford Brookes University student Eleanor Seddon
One said: “I think it would definitely make me feel better as you would have an idea of who is vaccinated and who is not and who you could feel more comfortable around.”
However, another student said: “I don’t think vaccine passports are important as people can make a choice about whether they have a vaccine or not and they shouldn’t be forced to do it.”
Hartpury University and College in Gloucester, a specialist agricultural and veterinary nursing college, has banned unvaccinated students from living on site to ensure maximum protection against the virus.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Starting university is one of the most significant moments in the lives of millions of people every year – and having your jab could be one of the most important things you do to ensure you get the best out of it.”
A 15-year-old boy has died after “getting into difficulty” in a lake in southeast London, police say.
Officers and paramedics were called shortly after 3pm on Friday to Beckenham Place Park in Lewisham.
The Metropolitan Police said a boy “was recovered from the lake” at around 10.42pm the same day.
“He was taken to hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead. His death is being treated as unexpected but not believed to be suspicious,” according to the force.
The boy’s family has been told and are being supported by specialist officers.
The force originally said the child was 16 years old, but has since confirmed his age as 15.
In the earlier statement, officers said emergency services carried out a search and the park was evacuated.
Emergency teams were called to Beckenham Place Park on Friday afternoon
Beckenham Place Park, which borders the London borough of Bromley, covers around 240 acres, according to the park’s website.
The lake is described as 285 metres long, reaching depths of up to 3.5 metres.
It is designed as a swimming lake for open-water swimming and paddle boarding.
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said on Friday: “We were called at 3.02pm this afternoon to reports of a person in the water.
“We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, an incident response officer and members of our hazardous area response team.”
Emergency teams have not explained how the boy entered the water, or whether he was accompanied by others.
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