Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Clinical Commissioning Groups launch Get vaxxed – enjoy being back campaign

A new campaign has been launched in Rutland to encourage young people to get their Covid-19 vaccinations.

The ‘Get vaxxed – enjoy being back’ campaign has been developed for younger people, aged 18 to 29, to help them feel safe and confident as they begin to enjoy activities which have been restricted during the pandemic.

The new campaign has been developed by the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) Clinical Commissioning Groups, in partnership with Public Health teams, councils and with design agency Arch Creative.

Caroline Trevithick, executive director of nursing, quality and performance at the LLR CCGs, said: “We wanted to invest in this campaign to help younger people feel better equipped to safely enjoy getting back to all the things that have been off limits due to the pandemic.

“As all restrictions are eased on activities such as travelling abroad, visiting nightclubs, attending live music and sporting events, there are understandably many who feel nervous and cautious about the unknown impact Covid-19 could have.

"The virus is still a very real concern, but we want our local young people to know that by having both Covid-19 vaccinations they can enjoy getting back to their activities with the confidence and knowledge that they are protecting themselves from catching or passing on the virus.”

“It is however imperative that both doses are taken to provide maximum protection.”

Across Leicestershire and Rutland, 534 young people took part in a survey, which was followed by a series of online focus groups.

The insight has been turned into a fresh and positive campaign, with the help of a group of young people and young health professionals, who also became the stars of the campaign.

Simran Sangherra, who supported in the campaign development, said: “It’s really important that young people see the benefits of getting vaccinated and know that they can access it safely and easily.

Being a part of this campaign enables young people like myself to see and be part of a positive future and think about the positive impact it has on others around us.”

Covid-19 cases remain relatively high in Rutland, despite gradually dropping nationally.

Rutland’s seven-day infection rate began to drop last week going from 310.6 per every 100,000 people to levelling out to 288 on yesterday (August 3).

However, in the past week, 102 new Covid-19 cases have been recorded in the county.

In Rutland, the number of deaths within 28 days of a positive covid test remains at 66.