Bradford meeting hears how district is 'living with Covid'

Speaking at a meeting where a report on how Bradford was living with Covid, Councillor Paul Godwin questioned whether public health messaging will ever reach people who have refused the Covid jab. 

Bradford Council’s Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee heard of a huge disparity in vaccine takeup in different parts of the District.

While more than 70 per cent of people over the age of 12 in areas like Ilkley and Baildon had received at least one Covid jab, in areas including Keighley Central, Heaton and Manningham that figure was lower than 30 per cent.

Members of the Council’s public health team detailed what they were doing to get more people to take up both the Covid vaccine and this year's flu jab – for which there is also a low take up.

Cllr Godwin (Lab, Keighley West) has worked in the pathology department of Airedale Hospital and sits on the committee.

He said Covid now “meant nothing” to many, and pointed out how difficult it will be to encourage the remaining unvaccinated people to change their minds.

He suggested now may be a time when Covid is treated in a similar way to flu – people can get annual vaccinations to reduce the danger of the disease, but it is no longer treated as a major public health priority.

He said: “Even if public health still see Covid as a major priority, most people don’t. As a disease it will likely rumble on forever, just like flu.

“We can’t afford to keep putting resources into it.”

He questioned whether public health messaging will ever reach people who have so far refused the vaccine, which was first made available almost two years ago.

“They would get it if they want to. Not getting it is their decision, just as someone might decide to smoke or drink themselves to death," he said.

“We’re spending money chasing people who have had plenty of chances to get the vaccine.”

Caroline Tomes, consultant in public health, said: “I would still say it is very important to encourage people to get the vaccine. It is one of the best forms of protection.

“We have the advantage of living in a country that has such a good history of vaccinations, and we don’t always remember the real risks diseases pose if people are not vaccinated against them.

“We can see that the number of people who got seriously ill with Covid was much higher before the vaccine than it is now.”

Jorge Zepeda, senior health protection manager, said misinformation was one cause of low vaccine takeup. He added: “That is what happened with the measles outbreak in 2018.

“Thanks to misinformation some people stopped seeing vaccines as a normal part of health care and began to see it as a conspiracy against human rights.”

Councillor Alun Griffiths (Lib Dem, Idle and Thackley) said: “If people are stupid enough not to get the vaccine, you can say that’s their problem - Darwin rules.

“But it is hard on the other people who these idiots aren’t protecting. People are dying of cancer because the health service is so busy dealing with people who have Covid.”

The meeting also heard about Long Covid and how it was being dealt with in the district.

Councillor Ruth Wood (Lab, Royds) said one constituent with the condition had told her she was unhappy with the support from doctors she had received.Someone with Long Covid (Image: newsquest)

Cllr Godwin claimed that unfortunately there was little anyone in the medical community could currently do to reverse Long Covid.

He said: “Patients don’t feel they get what they should, but unfortunately it is unrealistic that they can offer any more.

“A large proportion of people with Long Covid are in a position where doctors can do very little to help them. Some people have lung damage that may be with them for the rest of their lives.”