Sheffield GPs plan big vaccination drive as new Covid variant discovered in the city
Sheffield is set to launch a ‘big drive’ to get people vaccinated as yet another new variant of Covid spreads in the city.
A Sheffield GP has urged people to get their Covid jab to prevent a new variant discovered in the city spreading among unvaccinated people.
Dr Ollie Hart is clinical director of the Heeley-Plus Primary Care Network, which has given thousands of people their coronavirus jabs at The Matthews Practice in Highfield.
He said he was worried about the emergence of a new Covid variant, which has been reported by a team from Sheffield University and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals this week.
It is not yet clear whether the new variant is more transmissible or if existing vaccines are any less effective against it.
Dr Hart said: “We have been made aware that there is a local variant emerging.
“There’s not much more that we know at this stage but the big thing for us is that it seems to be spreading amongst people who are unvaccinated and there will be a big drive.
"It doesn’t seem at this stage to be hugely dangerous in terms of making young people really sick, but we’ve always been really worried about variants developing and spreading.
"We in primary care now are making rapid plans to increase the vaccine programme.
“As we up the ante on vaccinations we just need people to come forward now and have the vaccine.
“It’s clearly the way we can counter what’s going on but also the new variant and people who are vaccinated have a level of protection.”
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