Benefits of full vaccination when contact traced

Wednesday 04 August 2021

The Director of Public Health took a moment during the latest media briefing to remind the public of the importance of getting fully vaccinated, especially in regards to its impact once you get contact traced.

"I've spent a busy weekend working with the contact tracers and one of the points I'd like to highlight is the benefits of being vaccinated if you are contact traced," said Dr Nicola Brink, when discussing vaccination rates in the island.

The current guidelines state that if you are picked up through contact tracing, and you are only partially vaccinated  or not vaccinated at all, you will immediately go into active follow up. This requires a contact to self-isolate for 14 days.

Alternatively, fully vaccinated people will take one test and then enter passive follow up, able to go back to work or the shops. It's a distinction Dr Brink worries has not been fully understood.

"Highlighting these differences is important, because having contact traced over the weekend, there were people who were unaware of the advantages of being vaccinated when it comes to self-isolation," said Dr Brink,

Pictured: "There's a massive difference between those two groups of people," said Dr Brink.

There were 91 vaccinated or partially vaccinated people in self-isolation due to this requirement as of 2 August. "After looking at the figures this morning, there are another ten to nineteen interviews to do," said Dr Brink, indicating this could rise.

It follows concerns raised by the Civil Contingencies Authority that a disproportionate amount of people aged 18 to 30 hadn't come forward for their vaccination.

"It would be nice to get [the vaccination rate] a bit higher if possible," said the Head of the CCA, Deputy Peter Ferbrache.

76% of the entire population of the Bailiwick has been fully vaccinated; however, most importantly, 98% of people over the age of 50 have been fully vaccinated, and Deputy Ferbrache said there had been an increase in drop-ins after last week's concerns.

Pictured: Deputy Ferbrache urged those who hadn't been vaccinated to come forward last week.

Deputy Ferbrache acknowledged the difficulty the hospitality industry is currently in - following staffing issues, Brexit, and covid culminating in an unprecedented staffing crisis; he suggested that pushing your staff to get vaccinated would ease the pressure.

"There are quite a lot of young people employed in the hospitality sector, what we're saying is to encourage your employees to get double vaccinated.

"Of course they've got contact with the public all the time - that's the encouragement we're giving and we hope the hospitality industry does that," he said.