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• Question by: Caroline Pidgeon
• Meeting date: 04 February 2021

Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM: Minister, we know there is much concern over the so-called South African variant. My worry is that these concerns could lead to a noticeable decrease in vaccine take-up. At St George’s Hospital in Tooting yesterday, one in ten people did not turn up for their vaccine. Is this a trend you are noticing in London and what are you doing to assure the public that the vaccines are effective against this variant as well?

• Question by: Onkar Sahota
• Meeting date: 04 February 2021

Dr Onkar Sahota AM: Minister, thank you for coming and joining us this morning. The success of any vaccination programme relies on the willingness of people to actually have the vaccine. When trust was lost on the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine we knew that the uptake plummeted, and, as you know, we need to get over 80% of the population vaccinated to get herd immunity. You also know that trust is a social contract between two parties, in this case the Government and the people. While the people trust the scientists and the doctors, the Government has often...