Covid: Full football stadiums could help boost vaccination rate among young generation – Steve Cardownie

So Midlothian, East Lothian and the City of Edinburgh recorded some of the highest rates of Covid-19 in Scotland last week and NHS Lothian is on the case.
Young people are being urged to get vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus (Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA)Young people are being urged to get vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus (Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA)
Young people are being urged to get vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus (Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA)

In an effort to generate a greater take-up of vaccinations, it has launched a campaign outside football clubs, hoping to attract fans, starting with yesterday’s game at Easter Road where Hibs took on Arsenal in a friendly.

Such initiatives are to be applauded as recent statistics show that much more needs to be done to convince younger members of the population to get the vaccine.

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It seems that younger generations are more likely to be vaccine hesitant partly because they perceive themselves to be at lower risk of developing a severe form of Covid-19.

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It is imperative therefore that we reduce physical or logistical barriers to vaccination in order to encourage take-up, so the setting up of vaccination centres in locations that are convenient for young people such as near universities, shopping centres and areas with young demographics is key.

The NHS Lothian mobile unit has recently been at shopping centres and plans to visit Tynecastle Park and the Tony Macaroni Arena in Livingston in the next two weeks but as the number of fans being allowed to attend games has been severely reduced this will not have the same impact that a normal attendance would provide.

If take-up figures dictate, then a return visit to these football grounds when attendances are near normal must be on the cards.

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Vaccination issues are here to stay but I, for one, will encourage all and sundry to get the jabs!

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