Shropshire Star

Shropshire doctor's plea: 'Don't be next person I treat who tells me they wish they'd had jab'

A doctor at Shropshire's major hospitals has urged people to ignore 'misinformation' around Covid jabs and take the vaccine when it is offered.

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Dr Tyrone Lightbody

Dr Tyrone Lightbody is an acute medical consultant working at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Telford's Princess Royal Hospital and has been caring for coronavirus patients since the start of the pandemic.

He says there has been a dramatic drop in Covid admissions for the older groups, however patients are still being admitted who have caught it from a friend or relative with no symptoms.

"These are people who think they'd be fine if they caught Covid and they’re not," he said.

"We are seeing people hospitalised, who turned down the vaccination because they believed misinformation they'd seen on the internet about it or a friend or family member had warned them against it.

"Unfortunately there is no way of knowing who can pass it on to some who might be severely affected by the virus.

"It's not usually strangers in the street that pass it on, for the most part it's loved ones having close contact indoors.

"These are the people you'd least expect to cause you harm.

"I want to urge you all to please get a vaccination when you're offered one.

Preventing

"Vaccinations are preventing almost all hospitalisations and deaths amongst those vaccinated, it's that simple. Please don't be the next person I treat who ruefully tells me they wish they'd had the vaccination. It's often too late for these people."

Dr Lightbody, who has had his coronavirus jab, says people should ignore 'misinformation' and get behind the effort to 'take back control' over the virus.

"My father was dubious, actually he was resolute that he wouldn't get it," he added.

"He's a strong Jamaican man with an inquiring and sceptical mind.

"When he talked to me about theories he had heard and seen online they disintegrated once he heard the truth.

"It shocked me how tenuous and easily disproved they were and yet how entrenched this misinformation is in so many people's mindsets.

"We need to protect ourselves and our communities and encourage each other to take the vaccine, take back control over this virus.

"We can and are beating this, but we all need to play our part together.

"The whole nation has been on hold for almost a year now and it's in our hands, to move beyond this.

"Vaccines are no good if people don't take them. Please do.

"My team and I will keep going to work and doing the job we love and we need you to do what you can too to end this for all of us."