TikTok and Instagram campaign aims to tackle Covid jab misinformation

Simple graphics explaining how 12- to 15-year-olds can get the jab are to be circulated on social media in a Suffolk public health campaign

A campaign to tackle false information around Covid-19 vaccines for youngsters aged 12 to 15 has been launched on TikTok and Instagram.

Children of this age range are eligible for a single dose of the vaccine but are thought to susceptible to false information on social media.

Suffolk health's campaign hopes to counteract this problem and provide trusted sources of information.

The county has been receiving extra support to bring down Covid rates.

Although rates in the county have fallen, case numbers in some areas remain high.

Simple graphics explaining when, where and how 12- to 15-year-olds can get the jab are to be circulated on social media.

Simon Morgan, for the Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care System, said: "We know there is a lot of misinformation on social media, a lot of hype, so we have now got a series of videos we are sharing out on our Tik Tok and Instagram channels, which have been proven to be very successful."

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the team said its student-focussed programmes had also included "an ask the expert event in relation to maternity, fertility and breastfeeding".

Public Health Suffolk director Stuart Keeble said the take-up amongst the age group had been "challenging".

Public health teams had been working with NHS colleagues within schools "looking at what we can do to unblock some of those," said Mr Keeble.

"We were behind the England average and we are now starting to pick up and accelerate across Suffolk," he said.

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