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Boris Johnson says 'anti-vaxxers are nuts' Boris Johnson says 'anti-vaxxers are nuts'
(about 4 hours later)
Prime minister makes comments while promoting extension of free winter flu jabs Prime minister urges people to use expanded programme of free winter flu jabs
Boris Johnson has said people opposed to vaccinations are “nuts” as he promotes an expanded programme of flu jabs that ministers hope will ease pressure on the NHS if there is a second wave of coronavirus this winter. Boris Johnson has labelled people opposed to vaccinations “nuts” as he urged the public to use an expanded flu jab programme to ease pressure on the NHS if there is a second wave of coronavirus this winter.
Visiting a doctors’ surgery in London on Friday, the prime minister said to staff: “There’s all these anti-vaxxers now. They are nuts, they are nuts.” Visiting a doctor’s surgery in east London to promote the extension of free flu jabs to more people, Johnson told staff: “There’s all these anti-vaxxers now. They are nuts, they are nuts.”
Johnson added that while he was worried about a second wave of Covid-19, he believed the UK would be through the crisis by mid-2021. The prime minister’s comments highlight the worries in government and among NHS leaders that a potential rise in Covid-19 infections in the coming months, coupled with a bad winter flu season, could overwhelm health services.
“Whether it came from … a bat, a pangolin or however it emerged, it was a very, very nasty thing for the human race,” he said. “And I think by the middle of next year we will be well on the way past it.” In response, the usual winter programme of free flu vaccinations is being expanded this year to everyone over 50. Johnson said the plans would immunise “a very, very significant proportion of the population”, and urged people to take part.
The government is to expand the usual winter programme of free flu vaccinations this year to everyone over 50 in an attempt to reduce the level of flu infections and prevent the NHS potentially becoming overwhelmed if coronavirus returns more significantly. “We want everybody to get a flu jab in the run-up to this winter,” he told Sky News at the surgery. “And that’s why we’re rolling out the biggest ever programme of flu immunisation.
Speaking to Sky News at the surgery, Johnson urged people to take part: “We want everybody to get a flu jab in the runup to this winter. And that’s why we’re rolling out the biggest-ever programme of flu immunisation.
“We’re aiming first of all for school children up to year seven, for pregnant women, for people over 65, people who have been shielded. But then we’ll be extending it to people from 50 to 65.“We’re aiming first of all for school children up to year seven, for pregnant women, for people over 65, people who have been shielded. But then we’ll be extending it to people from 50 to 65.
“The reason for doing this is to protect the NHS in the winter months because, obviously, we’ve still got Covid – we’ve still got the threat of a second spike of Covid, and it’s vital therefore to keep that pressure off the NHS by everybody getting a flu jab, and I really hope everybody will.”“The reason for doing this is to protect the NHS in the winter months because, obviously, we’ve still got Covid – we’ve still got the threat of a second spike of Covid, and it’s vital therefore to keep that pressure off the NHS by everybody getting a flu jab, and I really hope everybody will.”
The programme would immunise “a very, very significant proportion of the population”, he said. The government has so far shied away from the idea of making any vaccinations compulsory, despite a fall in childhood inoculation levels, something partly put down to social media misinformation and scare stories about vaccines.
Johnson also indicated there could be new controls on the advertising of junk food, as part of a wider programme to combat obesity, seen as a risk factor in coronavirus. Last year, the UK health secretary, Matt Hancock, said the government was “looking very seriously” at making vaccinations compulsory for state school pupils and had taken advice on how such a law could work, but the idea was played down by No 10.
Asked if this summer should be a time for some Britons to lose weight, he said: “The answer is that yes, I’m afraid it should. I’m not normally a believer in nannying, or bossing type of politics. But the reality is that obesity is one of the real comorbidity factors. Johnson said that while he was worried about a second wave of Covid-19, he believed the UK would be over the crisis by mid-2021.
“Losing weight is, frankly, one of the ways that you can reduce your own risks from Covid. And actually, it’s one of the ways you can generally improve your health and protect the NHS. So yes, I certainly would encourage people.” “Whether it came from … a bat, a pangolin or however it emerged, it was a very, very nasty thing for the human race,” he said. “And I think by the middle of next year we will be well on the way past it.”
Johnson reportedly planned an imminent new anti-obesity campaign after he linked his own weight to his own grave illness from Covid-19. He added: “But, I must be clear with people, I do still think that we have tough times ahead in keeping this virus under control.”
Asked if he had lost weight, Johnson said: “I’m on the way – I’ve lost about a stone and a bit” Asked how, he replied: “Primarily by eating less, but also by a lot of exercise.” Asked how long he thought distancing and other protective measures would be needed, Johnson said: “The use of face masks, the use of all the social distancing measures really does depend on our ability collectively to get the pandemic right down and to keep it down.
Speaking earlier, the care minister, Helen Whately, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the government would work with GPs to “make sure that the vaccination gets to those who need it”. “I’m not going to make a prediction about when these various social distancing measures will come off. Obviously we have been able to reduce some of them. We no longer ask people to stay at home, we’re trying to get back much closer to normal, but our ability to dispense with the social distancing measures will depend on our continued ability to drive down the virus.”
She said: “The important thing here is that we’ve secured the supply of enough vaccine to vaccinate 30 million people. It’s the biggest flu vaccination programme the UK has ever known. On the day masks became compulsory for almost all adults in England in shops, banks and takeaway food shops, Johnson was asked if the public should be “shaming” those not wearing them.
“We’re going to reach over half of the population in England, and it’s really, really important that those who are eligible for the vaccine this year take it up.” He said: “I think we should rely on the massive common sense of the British people that have so far delivered the results that we’ve seen, and that’s going to work.”
Asked how GPs were supposed to take on the extra workload, Whately said pharmacies would also help: “I would say to GPs now, bear with us.”
She ruled out making the jabs compulsory: “This year, I’m confident that people will realise the importance of getting a flu vaccination, and they’ll realise that this year it really, really is imperative to come forward if you’re eligible and get it, so we expect to see higher take-up rates.”