A nurse who overcame her concerns about the Covid-19 inoculation is now leading the fight to encourage take up among those in the UK who remain unvaccinated.
Vaccine-hesitant Toyin Oladotun, known as "Lady T" among her colleagues, helped to launch one of the country’s first vaccination clinics but it was two months before she had her own first dose.
She urged people to get themselves protected before winter and said there was “no judgment” of people who come forward now to get their first jab.
As the first anniversary of the first Covid-19 vaccination on December 8, 2020 is marked, 6.4 million people — or 11 per cent of the eligible population — have yet to receive a single vaccine dose.
Doctors, celebrities and royalty are helping various drives to boost take-up among the unvaccinated.
“We were so excited to start administering the vaccine to protect as many people as possible against the virus, but it was difficult for me as I had friends and family warning me, as a black woman, not to get it as they were concerned about what might happen,” Ms Oladotun said.
“I spent almost two months vaccinating other people and processing all the evidence before I got my first dose.
“I thought I can't tell others all the benefits and not take my own advice, plus I was vaccinating people of all different ages, ethnicities and backgrounds — they all received the same advice, had their vaccines and were perfectly fine afterwards.”
Her occupational health nursing team at St George's Hospital in Tooting, south London, helped to launch one of the first vaccination clinics in the world on December 8, 2020.
England's National Health Service has stressed that the offer of a vaccine is “evergreen” and more than 21,000 people came forward for their first jab on December 5.
The St George's vaccination clinic has seen people aged 12 to 101 getting their jabs, totalling 100,000 in a year.
“I went from running around finding staff to give leftover vaccine doses to at the end of the day instead of getting it myself, to being proud to have got my first, second and now booster jabs too,” she said.
“I understand those who are a little more hesitant, as that was me too, particularly for those that their hesitancy comes from a deep-rooted place or a fear of needles, but I'm always so happy to chat to anyone about how they're feeling about it.
“Getting the vaccine is quick, easy and not at all scary — I'd urge everyone to get it and to speak to a medical professional if they want to discuss anything they're concerned about.
“We're all here to help and there is no judgment. It's never too late to be vaccinated to give you the best protection this winter.”
Musician and actor Martin Kemp has dressed up as Father Christmas for a festive film encouraging the public to get vaccinated against coronavirus this winter.
The video shows the actor and musician preparing for Christmas by booking an MOT safety test for his sleigh, polishing his boots and trimming his beard.
Professor Stephen Powis, NHS England's national medical director, has added his weight to the vaccination push.
He urges the public to get boosters and first jabs, as “vaccines are our main way out of this pandemic".
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UAE
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Mohamed Usman (vice-captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor, Sultan Ahmed, CP Rizwan
Nepal
Paras Khadka (captain), Gyanendra Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Pradeep Airee, Binod Bhandari, Avinash Bohara, Sundeep Jora, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Rohit Paudel, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi, Basant Regmi, Pawan Sarraf, Bhim Sharki, Aarif Sheikh
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THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
