Vaccines minister Maggie Throup visits Luton in bid to increase Covid jab take-up

The Government's vaccines minister visited Luton today (March 31) in a bid to encourage more people to get jabbed.
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Minister Maggie Throup visited the Redgrave Children’s Centre, which is administering Spring booster jabs to those most vulnerable.

She said: “It was great to meet the hardworking NHS staff in Luton helping people get their Spring boosters, as well as first and second doses of the life-saving Covid vaccine.

“From an army of vaccine reassures, door to door visits, vaccine buses and pop-up sites, there is great work happening to encourage people to come forward for their jabs."

But she added that more people needed to step forward and get the jab in Luton.

She said: “While this has undoubtedly made a huge difference, it’s clear more people still need to come forward as Luton has one of the lowest uptake rates in England, with just over two thirds of people doubled jabbed.

“We’re doing everything we can to support the NHS and local authorities reach people who might be hesitant.

“We know some people are more likely to listen to those they trust, such as community and religious leaders, and that’s why we are giving extra funding to our Community Champions scheme to support projects like this.

Vaccines Minister Maggie Throup with vaccination centre staffVaccines Minister Maggie Throup with vaccination centre staff
Vaccines Minister Maggie Throup with vaccination centre staff

Vaccines save lives and remain a key line of defence so we can all stay protected as we learn to live with Covid.

“Please come forward as soon as you can for your first, second and booster doses to protect yourself and your loved ones.”

Earlier this month a meeting of Luton Council heard that Luton has the sixth lowest Covid booster vaccination uptake in the country, and is in the bottom 20 of local authority areas for first and second doses.

Figures presented to the borough council's scrutiny health and social care review group showed that 67.4 per cent of people aged 12 and over in the town have been double jabbed, compared to 78.5 per cent nationally.

Meanwhile, a new Covid-19 vaccine community fund was announced in a bid to drive vaccination take-up.

A grant of £485k was awarded by central government to fund schemes to increase vaccine take-up across groups where it is particularly low.