Charlotte is busy, extremely busy. Along with studying, she has been processing lateral flow tests at her daughter's school, has recently finished her vaccination training with St John Ambulance and is now a Volunteer Vaccinator. Taking the time to share her story Charlotte talks about her course, her decision to help with the vaccination programme and the importance of having the Covid-19 jab.
Her course here at Greenwich is leading Charlotte to a future career that is both ambitious and admirable. “This fascinating degree has introduced me to concepts and theories of health, epidemiology, social policy and health inequalities, and much more. My future goal is to work for an organisation that’s passionate about reducing poverty and social inequality in the UK.”
Talking about why she chose to join the vaccination programme, it’s apparent her understanding of why we need to be vaccinated and her desire to help is clear. “I volunteered for the vaccinator programme via St John Ambulance to gain valuable experience and give something back to society. Also, from a public health perspective, vaccination will lessen the burden of Covid-19 and allow us to move forward with our lives.”
Her experience of the pandemic and lockdown has meant she has been keeping busy studying and volunteering but misses the everyday things and admits sometimes it has been hard. “I’ve had a few down days as a result of the lockdowns. To look after my wellbeing, I’ve spent more time outdoors enjoying long walks and lots of Netflix bingeing in the evenings!” Sharing how she keeps motivated Charlotte said it’s looking forward to the little things. “Once we return to ‘normal’ life I’m really looking forward to seeing my family again and having a drink in a sunny pub garden. I also can’t wait to jump in the car and go for long drives around the coast again!”
Having the vaccine
Charlotte had her first Covid vaccination in March. “The process was no trouble at all, and I barely felt the needle go in.” She also experienced some of the common side effects, such as aches and shivery but said these dissipated after a day or so. Her decision to have the vaccine was straight forward. “Though I’m in my 30s, I have an underlying health condition that puts me at risk of serious complications if I catch Covid-19. I don’t want to risk becoming seriously unwell or maybe even die from it because I have so much to live for.”
“I knew people who died from Covid-19 before the vaccine rollout – some were healthy people who weren’t much older than me.”
“The benefits outweigh the risk”
Having been vaccinated and her experience during her vaccination training Charlotte understands how some people may be unsure about having the vaccine. “I totally understand why people may be nervous or unsure about having the Covid-19 vaccine. Some people are frightened of needles, but reassurance is ever-present.” She shared how supportive the volunteers are, “vaccinators are there not just to vaccinate, but to offer reassurance regarding any worries people may have.” Her approach about having the vaccine is clear; "having a vaccine is an individual choice, however the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risk of Covid-19 complications and the risk of further disease spread throughout communities”.
Know the facts
Discussing further Charlotte pointed out it’s important to remember throughout history we have used immunisation and the there are benefits to society. “My advice is for people to educate themselves on how vaccines work for different viruses, what nasty diseases they prevent and why they are beneficial to us. Remember vaccination eradicated smallpox!”
Importantly, people need to be mindful that they will rarely find verifiable information on social media.
She continued about the importance of recognising mis-information. "They’re far more likely find a whirlpool of fearful misinformation which is neither peer reviewed, nor evidence based. Furthermore, the novel Covid-19 virus has mutated into different variants, some of which are more transmissible.”
“We’ve all seen how deadly this disease is, vaccination will help the population build immunity and return to that sense of normality missed by many.”
Thank you to Charlotte Ayley-Smith for sharing her story.
