Vaccination facts and myths

There have been a great many statements made about COVID-19 vaccines on social media over the past year or so, some expressing valid concerns, sadly many others expressing dangerous myths.

Some of the myths are due to misunderstandings - sadly some others are based on deliberate fraud or fakes although not everyone who shares them is a liar or aware of the fact that they are circulating lies.

Some social media companies have done a better job than others in working against dangerous "fake news" on their platforms and there has been some great work done in myth-busting about vaccines by some of the "factchecker" services like "Full Fact."

I have had comments aimed at me at on social media in respect of one particular group of myths to which I would respond as follows:

The truth is that

The approved COVID-19 vaccines have had their clinical trials and are not experimental.

During those clinical trials the vaccines were rigorously tested on thousands of volunteers in accordance with the "Nuremberg Code."

The rollout of the vaccines following MHRA approval is not an experiment and the Nuremberg code for medical experiments does not apply to that rollout. 

If you want to lean more about vaccines and their effectiveness and safety the best place to go is to official websites such as the Government COVID-19 information page, the NHS website COVID page, or the JCVI page.

Or if you are seeking advice about whether a particular vaccination is right for you or a member of your family, talk to your GP or an appropriately qualified medical professional.

Latest vaccination data

Public Health England (PHE) has published its latest weekly COVID-19 vaccine surveillance report.

The latest estimates suggest that the vaccination programme has prevented over 82,100 hospitalisations in those aged 65 and over in England. Further data suggests that it has also prevented 95,200 deaths and 23,957,000 COVID-19 infections more widely.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Sajid Javid said:

"The UK’s phenomenal vaccination programme has made a life-changing difference to tens of millions of people across the country, and we’re quickly closing in on 100,000 lives being saved in England alone.

With 82,100 hospitalisations prevented in over-65s and almost 24 million infections prevented across England, the vaccines are continuing to keep all of us safe. It’s also hugely encouraging to see over 62,000 pregnant women taking up the offer and ensuring they and their babies are protected from this dangerous disease.

The vaccines are free and available at hundreds of locations around the UK – please get your jabs to secure this protection for yourself and your loved ones and help us reclaim our lost freedoms."

Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisations at PHE, said:

"It is encouraging that thousands of women have now benefitted from the vital protection of a COVID-19 vaccine. However, many more may remain unvaccinated and we urge them to take up the offer.

The COVID-19 vaccines are safe for both you and your unborn baby and they are the best way to protect against COVID-19 related complications in pregnancy which can be serious, especially in your third trimester.

If you are pregnant and haven’t yet had your vaccine, make sure to book it in. It’s also vital that health professionals continue to talk to women about the benefits of vaccination and help to answer any questions they may have."

Dr Pat O’Brien, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist and Vice President at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said:

"We want to encourage all pregnant women to come forward for their vaccinations. It is very positive to see that the number of pregnant women who have been vaccinated is rising, but many more remain unvaccinated.

There is growing evidence that the vaccine is safe in pregnancy, and we want to reassure women that there is no link to an increased risk of harm to the baby, such as miscarriage, premature birth, growth problems, or stillbirth when having the vaccine.

We are seeing more unvaccinated pregnant women become seriously ill from COVID-19, and an increased number of women admitted to hospital and intensive care. The vaccine will help to protect both the mother and their baby from the potential effects of COVID-19."

Jessica Read, Deputy Chief Midwifery Officer for England, said:

"Mums-to-be naturally want what’s best for their baby and we know that many have been worried about getting vaccinated, but we also know that the vaccine is safe for pregnant women – with hundreds of thousands of expectant mums around the world having had the vaccine with no ill effects.

Pregnant women who catch COVID-19 are more at risk of becoming seriously ill, which can cause problems in pregnancy, so it’s vital they take up the ongoing NHS offer of a COVID-19 vaccination – protecting themselves and their babies from the virus."

Gill Walton, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Midwives, said:

"It’s positive to see more pregnant women are getting vaccinated. Getting the vaccine is the best way to protect you and your baby against COVID-19. It really is that simple.

Hundreds of thousands of pregnant women worldwide have been vaccinated, safely and effectively protecting themselves against COVID-19 and dramatically reducing their risk of serious illness or harm to their baby.

If you have questions please talk to your midwife, obstetrician or GP. Get the answers you need and get the jab."

Major exansion in doctor and dentist training

In my humble opinion this very welcome announcement is the most important thing the government has done this year. It will eventually - when it works through from training to doctor numbers, which will of course take a number of years - be the most important thing they could have done to protect the long-term sustainbility of Cumbria's hospitals.

Delighted to see that today they have announced an expansion to the number of places on medical and dentistry courses across England, giving more young people than ever before the opportunity to become doctors and dentists as we level up education.    

For decades governments of all parties allowed a situation where we were not training enough doctors or dentists. The result has been chronic shortages of doctors and dentists even after raiding other countries for many of their brightest people to work in the NHS

The only minister of either party to do anything about it until today was Jeremy Hunt who announced a 25% increase in training places in 2016.

Today a further increase was announced. The statement from government reads as follows.

• "Medicine and dentistry courses have always been popular, but this year have seen a 20 per cent rise in applications, meaning many well-qualified candidates may otherwise miss out on the opportunity to become a doctor or dentist.
   
• That is why we have provided additional funding to expand medicine and dentistry courses for the coming academic year, supporting universities to take on over 9,000 places in 2021–22 – more than ever before. 
   
• Expanding the number of places ensures that every student who achieves their grades can fulfil their potential of becoming a future healthcare leader, creating opportunity and boosting our future NHS workforce."