To encourage young people to get vaccinated, the UK government has released a video in which young COVID patients tell their stories of battling the virus and suffering long-term debilitating effects.
The video features several patients who experienced serious symptoms of COVID or developed long COVID, as well as the doctors and frontline staff who treated them, to warn of the dangers of the virus for those who are not vaccinated. It is narrated by Dr Emeka Okorocha.
It comes as people aged 16 to 17 in England are offered a COVID vaccine, and all at-risk people aged 12 to 15 in England are also invited for a vaccination. Young people are being encouraged to take up the offer as soon as possible to build vital protection before returning to school in September.
A fifth of COVID hospital admissions in England are aged 18 to 34 – 4 times higher than the peak in the winter of 2020.
The patients who feature in the new short film have issued a rallying call: young people should take up the vaccine to avoid suffering a similar fate.
After putting off the vaccine, Quincy Dwamena, a 31-year-old videographer and support worker spent 2 weeks in hospital with COVID. He said: “I’m a healthy, young guy. I went to the gym often and have no underlying health concerns. I put off getting the vaccine because I thought the way I was living my life would mean there would be little to no chance of me catching the virus, or it would have little effect.
“But I ended up being hospitalised and thought I was going to die. My advice is to get the vaccine: don’t put yourself and others at risk, I wish I’d got mine as soon as it was offered.”
Ella Harwood, a 23-year-old illustrator from London, said:
I’m young and fit but I was bed-bound for 7 months with COVID-19. Before I caught the virus, I was super active and had no health concerns, but I now suffer with asthma which I didn’t have before and a number of allergies.
I fear I’ll never be the same again but I’m making progress and I’m very grateful that I’m still alive. Please get vaccinated if you haven’t already.
People aged 16 and 17 are able to get vaccinated at one of more than 800 GP-led local vaccination sites and NHS England has launched an online walk-in site finder to help this age group locate the nearest available centre. Further sites will come online over the coming days and weeks.
In the UK, 87.5% of people have received their first dose, and 76.3% have received their second. The interviews were filmed in London, where uptake among under 30s is lowest.
According to data from Public Health England, the highest COVID case rates are among 20 to 29-year-olds with a case rate of 670.7 cases per 100 000 people. Additionally, 6.3% of people aged 16 to 29 have had long COVID, higher than the national average. Many of these have said long COVID has had a major impact on their lives, especially the ability to exercise, work, and maintain relationships.
TV doctor and emergency medicine physician, Dr Emeka Okorocha said:
“As an A&E doctor, I’ve seen a lot during the pandemic. But nothing has shaken me like the sight of young, otherwise healthy adults, being rushed into our hospitals with COVID.
“As well as their age, many of them have 1 other thing in common, they are unvaccinated. Vaccines truly are the way out of this pandemic and are the best way to protect everyone from the virus, so please get your vaccine.”
Alongside Dr Emeka and patients, the film features interviews with the frontline workers who have been treating young COVID-19 patients.
Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “There is no doubt the COVID vaccination programme is having a major impact, keeping around 82 100 people out of hospital and saving an estimated 95 200 lives in England.
“But we are seeing more unvaccinated young people in hospital now than ever before. Please don’t delay – get your jabs to avoid a similar fate to these brave people who have shared their stories.”
Source: United Kingdom Government
