Insulating towards threat
You don’t need to be a fan of Recreation of Thrones to know ‘winter is coming’. And whereas we would want we had just a few fireplace respiration dragons round to assist with the heating, the problems we face as a well being and care system require some actual world resolve and sensible options to match.
Fortunately, a type of sensible options is already tried and examined: vaccination. When the primary COVID-19 vaccine was permitted for roll out two years in the past, weak residents and frontline care and well being workers had been rightly among the many first cohorts to be supplied the jab.
I’m so grateful a lot of you agreed to be vaccinated and proceed to maintain yourselves, your residents and colleagues protected.
Even earlier than coronavirus turned an unwelcome and seemingly everlasting visitor on the feast of seasonal infections, we already had the annual flu surge to cope with. Though infections have been suppressed for the final couple of years, information rising from Australia and different territories suggests the lifting of covid restrictions means flu and different sicknesses usually tend to flow into and take maintain among the many common inhabitants.
This will appear an apparent level. Nonetheless, when you think about common immunity to influenza is prone to be weaker resulting from lack of publicity, as a workforce about to enter a interval of intense service stress, we merely can’t be complacent.
Vaccinations underway
As I hope a lot of you’re conscious, care residence residents and housebound folks in England started receiving the COVID-19 booster from 5 September. The place potential and sensible, the booster is being co-administered with the flu vaccine and I urge you to ensure you have each. Please book your vaccination appointments through the national booking service.
I’m positive your managers will work with you to ensure you have the time to maintain your appointments. In tandem with upkeep of the very best requirements of infection prevention and control (IPC), this actually is the easiest way to maximise your possibilities of staying nicely, defending others and never putting additional burden in your care groups.
Having spent many years on the frontline in quite a lot of care settings and medical areas, I do know in addition to you that retaining contagion at bay is a battle fought on a number of fronts. I do know you’re as much as the duty, however your confidence shall be boosted – actually – by the protecting protect of vaccination.
All the pieces it is advisable know
For these of you continue to involved about getting your jabs, or want to assist unfold the phrase by signposting to recommendation and additional info, a suite of resources have been updated and made available here.
The broader rollout has been gathering tempo from earlier this month, prioritising the oldest and most weak in our communities. The JCVI will likely advise who, when and why the following teams shall be invited to have their vaccinations in the end. Within the meantime, I do know you’re doing all you possibly can to maintain your residents, mates, family members and colleagues protected.
Thanks on your power and resilience over the past three years. Relaxation assured, we are going to do all we will to take care of your resilience and wellbeing within the months, years – and winters – to come back.
