A MONTH AGO Hackney council alarmed readers of this news site with the disturbing pandemic revelation that 17,000 of the most at-risk residents — “the clinically extremely vulnerable” over-60s — were refusing a Covid-19 vaccine.

Now the Government’s Freedom Day, Monday 19 July 2021, is a week away. Loving Dalston last week asked the council how it had progressed in persuading the mostly black and black-British group of ageing refusers to change their minds.

Hackney’s reply was even more alarming than its revealing of the immensity of the refusenik problem. The council said that more than 121,000 people aged 16-plus [sic] were unvaccinated and the percentage of double-vaxxed in Hackney was just over 32% (well under the level considered worthwhile). Hackney said it was specifically targeting 18-25s. So either it is targeting the over-60 decliners or they are still resolutely refusing to help to make the community safe.

The reply then faded into a string of clichés attributed to Dr Sandra Husbands, Hackney public health director: “the Covid-19 vaccine is a personal choice… using all the tools in our toolbox… importance of getting the vaccine… empower residents…”

Clearly, Hackney has failed to make vaccine inroads on the borough’s stubborn over-60 refusers. It’s not as if the council is not up to date with the problem. Far from it, Dr Husbands’s team gets data collected by the GLA [Greater London Authority] “that grades via ethnicity and class on questions [of] whether people are likely to take the vaccine…”

Freedom Day may be short-lived in Hackney.

David Altheer 120721

* Government Covid-19 vaccination programme

* Backstory: Hackney’s selfish 17,000 threaten Freedom Day; More than 60% of ultra-orthodox groups thought to have Covid; Abbott’s Covid appeal; Helping street people through the virus

* Pictures © [email protected], apart from the Covid-symbol above and of Dr Husbands. All available for sale via that eddress. Emboldened underscored words in most cases indicate a hyperlink.

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