Peterborough business owner says without COVID vaccine, his wife would have died

Ajaz Akhtar, owner of CaterFix, a company that provides catering equipment in Peterborough, urged everyone to take up the chance to get the vaccine.

Latest data shows that Peterborough’s vaccine take up rate is far below the UK rate,

So far, only 69 per cent of adults in the city have had one dose, and 63 per cent have had both doses. The UK rate is 90 per cent for first doses and 82 per cent for second doses.

The data also shows there are 57 patients in hospitals run by the North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust (Peterborough City, Hinchingbrooke and Stamford & Rutland), while 11 people in Peterborough have died in September within 28 days of a positive test,

Ajaz said: “When the family caught Covid, the business was severely impacted but it could’ve been a lot worse.

“I had mild symptoms but my wife caught it in a severe way. It could’ve been really bad if she hadn’t been double jabbed – I think it saved her life.”

The film is the latest in a campaign which has been launched by Peterborough City and Cambridgeshire County Councils, working with Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), focusing on local businesses in the county which have been affected by the virus. The key message of the campaign is to promote workplaces to encourage their staff to get the vaccine and to urge the public to: Stay safe. Stay working. Get the jabs.

You can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/E9mmTdIDPYo.

Peterborough City and Cambridgeshire County Councils are working closely with their partners to make sure everyone has access to both doses of the vaccine. As part of this campaign, the councils and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group are promoting walk-in vaccination clinics where people can get their Covid-19 jabs without appointments. For more information, visit: www.thevaccinators.co.uk/

Councillor Richard Howitt, chair of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Adults and Health Committee, said: “Ensuring that everyone in our communities – including those in the workplace – are as protected from the virus as possible remains a priority. I would urge anyone who hasn’t already had both doses of the vaccine to get theirs now. The Covid-19 vaccine is free. You don’t need to be registered with a GP, know your NHS number or bring any ID to your appointment.”

Dr Gary Howsam, chair at the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group, said “The vaccination is still our best protection against Covid-19. We’ve made it easier than ever to access your vaccine, by hosting pop-up walk-in vaccination sites as well as daily walk-in clinics at a number of locations throughout Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

“Simply visit www.thevaccinators.co.uk to find a vaccination venue near you. If you prefer to get some dates booked in, you can still arrange your appointments online via www.nhs.uk/covidvaccine or by calling 119.

“As we approach winter, it’s even more important that you get the life-saving vaccination to help reduce your risk of getting seriously ill from Covid-19 during the colder months.”

To find out where the nearest walk-in vaccine clinic is to you, visit: https://www.thevaccinators.co.uk/.

For more information about the local Covid-19 response, visit the Cambridgeshire County Council website at https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/coronavirus/coronavirus-covid-19-overview.