Students who are studying or living in Plymouth are invited to come to a virtual Q and A and hear the facts about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Read the following press release from Plymouth City Council below.

As the rollout of the vaccination continues across the city, it won’t be long before those aged under 30 will be invited to have the jab.

To help students cut through the many vaccine myths on social media and make an informed decision, they are invited to special Q and A – hosted in partnership with the NHS, Plymouth City Council and the University of Plymouth.

The event will be on the 9 June, at 5.30pm on Zoom. Attendees will need to register here.

Hosting the event will be Emi Dowse, the Vice-President for Education from the University of Plymouth Student’s Union (UPSU). She said:
 

“I know how important it is for students to return to some form of normality and receive a full university experience again. The vaccination programme will be a big part in making this happen, but it’s a personal decision and one that we want students to be empowered to make in an informed and considered way.
 

“Understandably some of you may have concerns about the vaccine, so this is a really good way to share these in a dedicated safe space for students as a chance to listen to and share experiences with public health experts and each other.
 

“We thank Plymouth City Council, the NHS and the City’s further and higher education providers for taking on-board the concerns that students might have and for making this worthwhile event happen – please do come along!”

Ruth Harrell, Director of Public Health for Plymouth, said:
 

“Over 140,000 people have had their first jab in the city so far – which is great. But, for the vaccination programme to be a success it is vital that we have high sign-ups from all age groups.
 

“We know that there are so many myths rumbling online. They could be about fertility, effectiveness or the vaccines ingredients. We don’t want these unhelpful lies to be the reason that someone says no.
 

“If you are a student that is looking to determine fact from fiction, or simply have a question about the vaccine – come along and ask the experts.” 

Dr Alex Degan, Primary Care Medical Director, said:
 

“In order for us to continue to live a life outside lockdown we need as many people as possible across all age groups to be vaccinated to prevent the spread of COVID-19 variants.
 

Having the vaccine is the most important thing which you can do to protect yourself and those around you including your fellow students and when you return home, your families.”

Any students living or educated in Plymouth can register to attend the event. Answering questions on issues such as side effects, fertility, the effectiveness or benefits of the vaccine will be:

• Dr Alex Degan, the Medical Director for Primary Care for Devon
• Sue Wilkins, Associate Chief Nurse and Director of Mass Vaccination, Flu and Testing at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
• Ruth Harrell the Director of Public Health for Plymouth. 
   

The event will be hosted on Zoom. Once registered you will be sent a personal link (around 24 hours in advance and again around 20 minutes before) and will be able to log in and hear and take part in the conversation.

Attendees will be invited to have their say via video, audio or text chat.

By registering to the event, participants are agreeing to Plymouth City Council's event etiquette, available here.