Every fortnight Kevin writes a "Kev's Column" for the Herald Express and you can read the latest edition (Published on Wednesday 3rd February 2021) below:
Jab’s Army
The last fortnight has seen major progress in the vaccination programme across the UK, with the milestone of over 500,000 jabs administered in just one day having not only been reached but surpassed by some distance.
Those involved in the programme here in our bay have worked hard and deserve our thanks. As someone who is aged 42 and with no underlying health conditions it will be some time before I will be invited for a jab, yet I was invited to visit the GP-Led Vaccination Service at the Riviera Centre last Friday for a briefing on the progress being made here in the bay, with 1,100 jabs being done there on the day I visited.
The core constraint on the vaccine programme remains production and supply, there is no stockpile waiting to be used. We must therefore ensure those who are most vulnerable to death or serious illness are always first in line for the next batch of jabs, no matter how tempting supporting campaigns to put others ahead of them might be.
Thanks to the work of the Vaccines Taskforce the UK is in a good position to get more doses as they become available with production increasing, despite the various predictions of critics when it was set up. Last week trials of another two potential vaccines showed encouraging results, with millions of doses already on order for our NHS.
The light of summer at the end of the coronavirus tunnel is now very visible, but to get there we must all continue to do our bit by staying at home and if invited to receive the vaccine doing so.
Taking Advice
Some have been in touch worried about claims made about the vaccines, especially on social media.
I am not medically qualified, politics and law are more my areas, so I take advice from the experts in virology and immunology who work for our NHS. I am not going to learn more about these subjects by watching some videos online for a couple of hours than they have done over decades of study and research.
My Dad lives in a local care home. Dad has every confidence in the advice of our NHS, so he received the vaccination, alongside the staff and other residents of his home. He was happy for me to mention this to encourage others to do the same.
TUFC
The crowds may have been absent, but Torquay United’s form has not, with promotion back to the Football League tantalisingly close.
Yet without vital revenue streams financial support from the Government is needed to ensure the National League Season can finish, hence I have supported calls for this support to be provided as a grant, not loan.
Surgery Times
Due to the current restrictions I have had to cancel my regular face to face advice surgeries.
I hope to restart them as soon as possible, but in the meantime a telephone call appointment can be arranged. Please note these telephone surgeries are for urgent personal matters, such as welfare, immigration, housing, problems accessing support and benefits, rather than to discuss policy or the wider situation.
You can either email me at [email protected] or leave a message on 01803 214989 and we will get back to you as quickly as possible
