Author: Alex Jones

The Living Well Bus is returning to Sefton to offer the seasonal booster to those eligible, as well as first, second or booster COVID-19 vaccines to anyone needing to get up to date with their jabs.

The bus will be parked at Lidl on Wellington Road, Seaforth L21 6PD from 10:30am to 4pm on Tuesday 3rd  January. 

Simply turn up

There is no need to book, so residents can simply turn up throughout the day to take advantage of the onboard clinic.

Free health checks are also available for residents aged 18 and over if time and capacity allows, which include a pulse check and blood pressure check, cholesterol and blood glucose check and a BMI check.

Perfect opportunity

Jan Leonard, primary care lead for Sefton at NHS Cheshire and Merseyside said: “This is the perfect opportunity for people to get up to date with any COVID-19 vaccines they might have missed, so they can feel confident when out and about and visiting friends and family.

“The ‘Living Well’ bus is designed to help fit around people’s busy lives by bringing the right services to them.

“The service, which is led by Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, has recently been recognised for its impact in local communities after being shortlisted for an HSJ Partnership Award 2023 and we’re proud to be bringing the service to Sefton.”

You can find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine, who is eligible, and how to book an appointment online or find other walk-in vaccination sites on the NHS website: www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination.

An investigation unveiled potential dangers lurking on self-service screens and handrails as the festive season gets underway

Health chiefs are warning Christmas shoppers to massively step up their hand hygiene after a public health study identified thousands of bacteria living on self-checkouts, including those normally associated with faeces.

Microbes

Microbes that are commonly found in the intestines and can lead to urinary tract infections (UTIs) were also discovered on swabs taken at self-service points across a number of UK stores as part of the project.

With the festive shopping period in full swing and time-poor consumers opting for speedy self-service checkouts, the Champs Public Health Collaborative is calling on people to take extra care to protect themselves and others as we prepare for the annual spike of winter illnesses such as Norovirus and flu.

Swabs

As part of the experiment, scientists analysed 19 swabs from a range of other everyday objects such as escalator handrails, public toilet door handles, as well as office computer keyboards, pets and pet toys.

Following examination, the samples revealed thousands of bacteria, including E. coli – a bacteria that can lead to a range of gastro-intestinal illnesses – being present on almost all objects investigated.

A bug commonly found in the vagina, mouth, throat and gut called Candida albicans, which has the potential to cause a yeast infection, was discovered on an escalator handrail, while intestinal microbes that can cause a range of infections in humans, including UTIs were found on computer keyboards.

Bacteria

Dr Adam Roberts, one of the chief researchers within the Infection Innovation Consortium (iiCON), which is led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), which produced the analysis of the bacteria said: “We live in a bacterial world – bacteria and microbes are everywhere, and we come into contact with them all day, every day.

“It’s vital to try to minimise their effects in terms of infection prevention and control, so when we touch our mouths or go to the toilet and don’t wash our hands, we’ve likely got bacteria from these places on our hands which can then transfer to other things – and subsequently to other people.

“If those individuals are more susceptible to infection than you are, there may be a problem.

“The self-checkout samples had one of the highest bacterial loads, as we found five different types of potential disease-causing bacteria surviving on them. This included Enterococcus which is found in human faeces and, while this is usually harmless, it can of course lead to disease, particularly in those who may have weakened immune systems.

“We found multiple examples of E. coli and a bacteria called Klebsiella on computer keyboards. While both exist naturally in faeces and intestines, given the right environment, they are able to cause quite severe diseases in humans, so it’s vital that we wash our hands before and after eating when working at the computer.”

You can see more about the research and the results here.

Vigilance

Now, as we head further into winter and prepare for a range of infectious diseases to soar, medical experts at Champs Public Health Collaborative – a public health partnership between nine Directors of Public Health across Cheshire and Merseyside – are urging us all to be extra vigilant and keep washing our hands regularly.

It comes as part of a wider campaign, Simple Things, which was launched after researchers found that two thirds of people are worried about the spread of infectious diseases this winter, with younger people having the most concerns.

Simple Things

The Simple Things initiative calls on people to practise four key measures to prevent the spread of winter illness – hand washing, sanitising surfaces, keeping distance when unwell and covering sneezes or coughs.

For more information about the Simple Things campaign, visit: www.simplethings-nhs.com

The Living Well bus is returning to Sefton on Saturday 26 November to offer first, second or booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to Sefton residents and the seasonal (autumn) booster for those eligible.

The bus will be parked in the Morrisons Maghull store car park this Saturday from 10:30am-4pm and residents can come along throughout the day with no appointments needed.

The team will be offering the seasonal (autumn) booster to those who are currently eligible. You can find more details about this on the NHS website at: www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination. COVID-19 vaccines will be available for anyone aged five and older who has not yet been vaccinated, or who has missed their second jab or first booster dose.

Jan Leonard, primary care lead for Sefton at NHS Cheshire and Merseyside said: “We’re proud to offer this service, which is led by Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, to help our busy residents and seldom-heard communities boost their immunity during winter.

“The bus has travelled to areas in Sefton with low vaccine uptake and has supported residents with learning disabilities and our homeless population to get protected against getting seriously ill with the virus.”

On the Living Well bus’s last stop in Sefton teams gave a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to six homeless residents and autumn boosters to 17, which they said they would have otherwise not have been able to get.

Jan continued: “We’re proud to be able to offer this essential protection and would urge any other residents who haven’t yet had any doses of the vaccine to take up the offer.

“It doesn’t take long, and it will mean you can feel reassured about seeing friends and family during the festive period. COVID-19 is still around and the vaccine is still the best way to protect yourself and others.”

The Living Well bus is the first service of its kind in England, and travels to the heart of communities to ensure that people can access the COVID-19 vaccine.

The service has delivered more than 7,000 COVID-19 vaccinations across Cheshire and Merseyside to date, and has visited locations across Sefton including Bootle, Netherton, Crosby and Southport, administering 542 COVID-19 vaccines to residents so far, with 518 of these being autumn booster doses.

The Living Well bus is visiting different parts of Sefton regularly. Find the latest updates on dates and locations by following us on Twitter at: twitter.com/SeftonPartners.

You can find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine, who is eligible, and to book an appointment online or find other walk-in vaccination sites on the NHS website: www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination.