THE leader of Thurrock Council has once again urged people in the borough to take advantage of the opportunity to have Covid vaccinations and booster vaccinations – with a special emphasis to the area's younger people.

In his latest message to residents Cllr Rob Gledhill says: "We have seen a slight drop in the overall number of people in Thurrock testing positive for COVID-19 this week.

"However we are not out of the woods yet and there are still plenty of good reasons to remain cautious, especially with the highest rates in the borough being among under 18 year-olds.

"Once again Thurrock's close-knit communities have played a key role in keeping one another safe by following advice, exercising caution and above all by taking up the offer of a vaccine.

"The offer of a vaccine has now been made to all children aged between 12 and 15 years-old. Schools will manage this process and contact the parents of eligible children - there is no need for parents to contact the NHS or council.

"The country's top medical experts have come to the conclusion that it is beneficial for younger teenagers to have one dose of the Pfizer vaccine to help keep them, their families and their school communities' safe and avoid the disruption we all experienced when schools returned from their summer holidays 12 months ago.

"At the moment in Thurrock those aged under 18 account for around a third of the current positive cases in the borough.

"I know that there are still some people out there who have their doubts about the vaccine. We have produced a series of videos where local medical experts talk about what we know are some of the key concerns with the vaccines. If you are hesitating over the decision to get the vaccine I recommend you take a look at these videos to put your mind at rest.

Walk-in and bookable vaccination appointments are readily available. Visit the nhs.uk website to find out where in and around Thurrock you can go to get your first or second dose of the vaccine. The Essex Vaccine bus will be at Lakeside Shopping Centre this weekend, it is open from 10am until 3pm and no appointment is needed."